For you to make informed decisions it is essential to know if you have western flower thrips on your property. Biology, identification and life cycle for details. At 1 August 1993, the thrips was only known from four greenhouse capsicum crops and one eggplant crop in Kumeu, Auckland. However, it could have spread further since its discovery in August 1992. Western flower thrips is difficult to control once it gets into your crops.
Prevention is better than cure.
Work on the principle that the thrips is out there waiting to come in even if it has not been reported in your locality. The proposed strategies should be adopted as soon as possible and are strongly recommended if the thrips is already in your locality. These strategies will also help to control other pests. Thrips are tiny, so use the finest netting available that will also allow adequate air flow. Even netting that the thrips can crawl through will keep most of them out.