Ugh, Thrip season is on us again

[B19GRR]

Before moving down to these southern climes I'd never even heard of thrips or thunderbugs so imagine my happiness the first summer we were here to have these 'orrible little black specks swarming all over the house. We've been here 5 years now and have come to dread the month or so around July/August when these little buggers appear and drive us mad. How can things so small my your skin crawl so much?!!!!

So what can be done about the damn things? Any local advise? Chemical warfare sounds good but I think the opposition is too great. Keeping all the doors and windows shut only seems to marginally hamper their progress in to every nook and cranny - and most annoyingly in to my laptop screen (feckers). I don't suppose having the house backing on to open farmland is particularly helpful, although why they decide to come in to our house where there's nothing really for them to eat when there's a lovely crop of something or other growing out there that they could be munching on is even more annoying!

Ugh!

Cheers,
Rob

[Chequred Demon]

If you don't have much of a life you could try here - http://www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk/thrips.html

[Jerkins]

'orrible things...

Over the past few days they've managed to get into my computer monitor, between the LCD panel and the back-light. I could see them wandering around for a few hours, then they died... so now I have 3 or 4 blurry little marks on my screen.

[B19GRR]

Yup, my lovely 17" laptop has a few dead uns in. I spent the morning washing and waxing the car, I've now got a tub of wax full of the litter feckers, I wonder what a thrip/carnuba mix will do for the beading

Cheers,
Rob

[Mr M]

> I don't suppose having the house backing on to open farmland is particularly helpful

So did I but I've moved away now. A most unpleasant time. Thankfully only had two years of it.

[crankedup]

Thripps maybe annoying but horseflies are our big dread this time of year, they sting just for fun.

[chevykevv]

I think the Thrips challenge each other to find the stupidest place to crawl in & die.

As above laptop screens, picture frames (how the hell do they get past the tape & behind the glass?)

Even had one crawling around my old Nokia screen.

[Jerkins]

On my desk I have a list of family numbers that has been laminated in plastic - and one of those thrips has got inside! It must have used a sharp tool...

[Anatol]

They are the bane of my life at this time of year.

You have not felt true annoyance at them until they spontaneously manifest in the middle of the lacquer job on a large silver repair...

Tol

[Jerkins]

That's the worst part about them - you never see them flying around - they just "appear", usually where it's the most inconvenient...