Thrips are among the most challenging pests in vegetable and horticultural crops in Zambia. Their feeding causes silvering, leaf distortion, flower damage, and fruit scarring, while several species also transmit destructive plant viruses.
Successful management relies on early detection and integrating biological control methods before populations reach damaging levels.
One of the most effective tools for monitoring and reducing thrips populations is Horiver Sticky Cards from Koppert. Sticky traps are exceptionally effective against thrips because they exploit the insect's natural biology, flight behavior, and chemical resistance.
Thrips are naturally attracted to specific wavelengths of light. While yellow sticky cards work well, bright blue sticky traps reflect a specific spectrum that thrips find irresistibly attractive, drawing them away from plants. While both yellow and blue sticky cards capture flying insects, blue sticky cards are significantly more attractive to thrips, making them the preferred choice for thrips monitoring and mass trapping. Yellow sticky cards attract a much wider range of insects, including whiteflies, aphids and fungus gnats, whereas blue cards provide more targeted monitoring of thrips populations.
Read the full article on Greenspace Zambia here: https://www.greenspacezambia.com/post/biological-thrips-management-starts-with-monitoring
