I have spoken about Chilli Thrips before, but I have found a lot of people don’t know what it is. Yes, it affects your roses but what is it really?
Chilli Thrips is a tiny sap sucking insect that can cause a lot of damage to your roses. And if not treated or removed it can spread to other plants in your garden. It is a real pest. I have found that it is mostly found during the warmer months and when the weather starts to cool down, they appear to disappear.
Chilli Thrips are small almost invisible to the naked eye, and they have elongated pale or translucent bodies.
This pest was first reported in the north of Western Australia about 20 years ago and they have now spread to the Perth area. To check if your roses have Chilli Thrips, you can shake the damaged foliage over white paper to look for tiny insects and black specks of their dung. Or better still if you see your roses are damaged call me and if you are located around Peth I will come and take a look for you.
Chilli Thrips is not your regular Chilli that grows in the garden or pots, and you can add to your favourite spicy recipes.
This form of Chilli Thrips, the pest may need to be removed by cutting away the diseased plant material and disposing off it the right way to prevent it spreading to other plants.
If you are unsure about Chilli Thrips, and you think you may have a problem with your roses, please call me.
John Kelly
