The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reports that higher Asian bean thrips (ABT) populations were reported across South Florida. However, these were observed only in more mature plantings with few blooms.
Insecticide applications are not recommended unless scouting indicates populations are greater than 1.0 ABT per bud or bloom.
Populations reached 0.6 per bloom in southeastern Hendry County in one late planting. They were not detected, however, in other locations in the area. Multiple sticky traps detected ABT in the single digits. That’s compared to last year when traps regularly caught ABTs in the triple digits. Some locations have not recorded a single ABT this season.
ABT populations were reported in Palm Beach County at 0.5 per bloom at harvest in Pahokee and less than 0.1 per bloom in Loxahatchee.
The Asian bean thrips were detected in Martin County for the first time this season. However, populations were less than 0.1 per bloom. A single ABT was found on a trap in Collier County, west of Immokalee.
ABT was not detected by scouting in areas around the Collier/Lee County line. Populations are below threshold.
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