REMINDER: Thrips parvispinus behavior webinar TOMORROW at 12 EST. Plus, don’t miss the 3rd webinar in this series on Parvispinus July 23.

Flowers Canada Growers (FCG) has recently been hosting a webinar series on Thrips parvispinus. This series goes over what we’ve uncovered about this pest here in Ontario during a joint project by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agri-business (OMAFA)

The next webinar will be tomorrow, July 16th at 12 EST, and will go over interesting behaviors and ecology we’ve learned about Parvi that could help us better manage this pest.

The last webinar will be held next week on July 23rd, also at noon EST. This presentation will look at progress that’s been made towards biocontrol of this invasive pests.

Read on for more details and how to watch the webinars!

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Upcoming Webinar: Getting to Know Thrips parvispinus

The first webinar covered the Start Clean approach for cuttings infested with Parvispinus (that recording will be made available shortly). The next webinar will be held on Thurs, July 16th, and will go over interesting behaviors and ecology we’ve learned about Parvi that could help us better manage this pest.

Read on for more details.

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Effective Mass Trapping For Summer Thrips, Part 2: Colour, Placement and Duration

*Yellow or blue – that is the question. Photo by A. Summerfield.*

Part 1 last week covered WHY to trap and WHEN to it’s best to put up your cards. This post goes over trap colour and placement to optimize thrips catches while reducing effects on natural enemies.

Although I’ve talked about this in older posts, I’ve put this data in context of what we know now, in terms of the various thrips species that invade Niagara greenhouses. I’ll also be sharing some data on card duration.

If that isn’t exciting enough for you, next week’s Part 3 will discuss whether or not using lures is worth it to increase thrips catches.

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Mass Trapping For Summer Thrips, Part 1: Why Trap and When to Start (Answer: This Week!)

Sometimes your thrips biocontrol program is working great. Other times, it seems to get completely overwhelmed. Thrips can get out of control in Summer, when fall crop production is ramping up. This is where mass trapping can really help.

This post will cover where thrips come from, which species we find on cards, and when the best time is to add mass trapping to your thrips IPM program.

And stay tuned for Part 2, which will cover ways to optimize your mass trapping!

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Your Yearly Reminder of Japanese Beetle Requirements: Get Those Treatments on Before May 15!

Anyone following this blog for the last few years knows I like to remind y’all to make sure you treat your plants for Japanese beetle before May 15! This is because NO pesticides are allowed when Japanese beetle (JB) pupae are present (generally, May 15-June 15 in Ontario),which has gotten some growers into a pickle during spring shipping in the past.

Note that if you’re a nursery crop grower also treating for boxtree moth, you may surpass the maximum allowed applications or rate of Acelepryn per year if you also need to treat for JB. In that case, it might be better to time your treatments for JB in order to use intercept (imidacloprid) instead. So make sure to check out the pesticide timing chart in the JB Infographic in the full post.

This year, I’ve updated the JB Decision Tree and Infographic to include shipping requirements to different areas in the United States. So, if you or your staff need more clarification on any of these points, make sure download the latest PDF.

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Controlling Parvispinus, Oleander Aphid and Spider Mites in Mandevilla: Part 2 – Spider Mite Resistance Management.

Last week, I posted an updated IPM plan for Mandevilla that balances Thrips parvispinus (“Parvi”) control while taking into consideration other pests, as well as costs. The last post covered propagation in detail, including biocontrols and chemicals.

This week I’ll be going over the best way to balance control of Thrips parvispinus (“Parvi”) and two-spotted spider mite (TSSM) in production. I’ll provide a working Parvi spray program that gives you high-quality plants by sale, but also makes sure spider mites don’t walk away with your crop (or your wallet!).

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How To Manage Parvispinus, Oleander Aphid and Spider Mites Effectively in Mandevilla: Part 1 – Propagation.

When Thrips parvispinus first came on the scene in Ontario, our one goal was to knock back this pest any way we could. Four years later, we are suffering the effects of an all-chemical program. This includes high costs, along with insecticide resistance developing in two-spotted spider mite, which used to be managed biologically before Parvipsinus came along.

Based on OMAFA’s work with commercial farms, along with input from technical reps from biocontrol companies, we’ve come up with a more refined IPM program for Mandevilla that balances Parvispinus control while taking into consideration other pests, as well as costs.

I’ll be going over this program in detail over a 3 part series, so buckle up!

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Join our LAST Thrips Identification Workshop on March 4th in SIMCOE!

As control measures differ depending on the thrips species you’re dealing with, the very FIRST step in learning how to manage thrips effectively is proper species identification.

If you’re interested in having someone in your greenhouse operation learn how to do this (so you don’t have to rely on technical reps or government specialists), then keep reading!

This will be our LAST in-person workshop, so make sure to take advantage of this free learning opportunity!

Read on for more details and how to register.

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REMINDER: GrowON Webinar Feb 11th at Noon: Managing Mealybugs

A reminder that on Wednesday, February 11th, GrowON will host Dr. Raymond Cloyd of Kansas State University, for an hour-long exploration of mealybugs and their management.

To attend, click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.

Webinar Description

Who: Dr. Raymond Cloyd, Professor, Kansas State University

What: Mealybugs are a challenge to manage in greenhouse production systems. In this webinar, Dr. Raymond Cloyd (Kansas State University) will discuss the biology, behavior, and feeding damage affiliated with mealybugs. He will then address plant protection/pest management strategies, including cultural, physical, insecticidal, and biological that greenhouse producers can implement to keep mealybug populations below plant damaging levels.

When: Wednesday, February 11th, 12-1pm EST (11-12 CST)

Where: on Zoom. (The recording will also be made available on the ONFloriculture blog at a later date). Please register for this FREE webinar using this link.

More Info: Questions regarding the webinar can be directed to sarah.jandricic@ontario.ca.

Upcoming GrowON Webinar Feb 11th: Managing Mealybugs

Mealybugs, which have long plagued tropical plants, are now appearing in a wider variety of crops, from chrysanthemums to poinsettia. On Wednesday, February 11th, please join Dr. Raymond Cloyd of Kansas State University, for an hour-long exploration of mealybugs and their management.

To attend, please continue reading and click on the registration link in the webinar poster or at the end of the post.

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