RE: Thrips and chemical controls

From: Tom Massey (massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu)
Date: Thu Aug 05 1999 - 08:11:14 PDT


Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 11:11:14 -0400
From: Tom Massey <massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg2820$foo@default>
Subject: RE: Thrips and chemical controls

Hi Susan:

Your comments are all well taken but I believe you missed the point of my
response to the first post. I was annoyed, and remain annoyed, at those
who anoint themselves as apostles to the rest of us, as if we (bourgeois
Philistines that we are) have taken no thought to the issues at hand. On
rereading my response I still believe I was far more diplomatic than her ad
hominem accusation that we are all somehow "chemically dependent."

I emphasized that rather than to attempt to save us from ourselves
regarding the danger of "chemicals", she might have offered a concrete
alternative for those who were interested. For example, your response not
only offered several biological controls but the source and a phone number
as well. This is helpful information.

As far as parasitic wasps go, I remain skeptical that there is one small
enough for thrips. But as I said in the first post: - hey I could be
wrong.

Tom in Fl.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 1999 8:29 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list

To throw in my two cents...
SNIP

As to biological controls, I'm not familiar with a wasp that attacks
thrips (although wasps DO come in very small sizes, Tom, and there
might be one small enough to parasitize thrips.) I AM
familiar with several mites and a bug that all will eat thrips:
Hypoasis miles, Ambylsrius degenerans, A. cucumeris and the Insidious
flower bug (great name!): Orius insidiosus. All are available from
the Green Spot, a company in New Hamshire: (603) 942-8925, and from
other companies as well, I'm sure. These predators would not be cost
effective for a person with a few plants, but larger growers should
certainly consider it!
Susan Farrington

SNIP

Susan Farrington
Missouri Botanical Garden
P.O. Box 299
St. Louis MO 63166-0299
susan.farrington@mobot.org
(314)577-9402



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