Control - Many materials are registered and effective at controlling thrips. Symptoms - Mites are very small and go unnoticed until plants become severely damaged. Broad mites cause foliar necrosis of the vegetative shoot apex. Initial symptoms of injury show new leaves cupped downward, puckered, stunted and have serrated margins. Broad mite eggs are covered with many tubercles which give them the appearance of being jeweled.
Eggs are bright red and oval-shaped and are laid on both surfaces of leaves.
Initial infestations are indicated by faint brown, scruffy flecks, later becoming bronze or reddish in color. Basal leaf areas are affected, vegetative shoot apexes may be killed, and severe leaf drop may occur. The best control program is to minimize the possibility of introducing mites into the growing area on infested plant material. Pesticides should be applied according to label directions. Regardless of the pesticide or mixture of pesticides used, it is strongly recommended that the effects be evaluated on a few plants, under your particular conditions before treating all plants.