Although the flower thrips are often numerous on strawberries when catfacing occurs, thrips do not cause catfacing. This is a result of lygus bug feeding and possibly other factors. As fruit develops, thrips feeding may cause a russeting of the fruit around the cap. This type of injury is seldom economic. There can be numerous generations each year.
Adults become active in early spring and deposit their eggs into plant tissues.
Full development from egg to adult takes place in approximately 2 weeks. Sprays applied to control thrips disrupt biological control of other pests such as twospotted spider mites and lygus bugs. To sample thrips, place randomly collected flower blossoms into a glass container charged lightly with ethyl acetate. After at least 30 min, count the thrips by removing the blossoms and shaking them onto black paper. Minute pirate bugs and other generalist predators can be important natural enemies of thrips.