Newbie dealing with thrips

[OrcishOrchids]

So it started with me seeing phantom pieces of dust, and then the damage started to show. Thrips.
I have purchased an acetate spray and a permethrin spray to rotate, is there anything else I should do? My apartment is only 600sqft so I don't know how I couñd do a really effective quarantine, besides, how do I know who has them and who doesn't? I can hardly see them at all, my husband had to ID them under a microscope.

[MiniMoth]

I'm in a similar situation + a balcony garden with edibles which is a renewable source of pests :/

I use a combination of insecticidal soap and patience. And neem oil spray.. occasionally.

If the infestation is just starting, simply picking the plant a few times a day and inspecting/squishing any bugs can be enough to get rid of them on a phal ..or something with just a few leaves (you are looking for 1mm long and very thin beige "threads" that may be wriggling around or staying still).
Put the plant where it's easy to reach when just passing by, and keep checking for a few weeks. Young trips tend to party on and around any tender new growth (and flowers.. and possibly aerial root tips).

A couple of days ago I've noticed a few very young thrips in the crown of a large phal - squished the ones I could reach and then filled the crown with the insecticidal soap solution. No signs of life so far, but I keep checking it all over.

Do you have any other houseplants that may be the source?

[OrcishOrchids]

Yes, we have some Anthuriums, spider plants, a maranta prayer plant, some sansevieria, some pothos, my husband's carnivorous collection....

Ummm, did I mention we like plants?

[MiniMoth]

..be sure to carefully check them all for unusual discolored marks on leaves and tiny hard black grains of poo at those marks ...

I had an explosion of thrips on my anthurium - first obvious sign was slightly deformed new leaves.

Spider plant had thrips too - it was too far gone when I've finally figured out what it was.. the sign was pale green blotches on leaves and some hard black specks here and there.. same on monstera adansonii, but this one is recovering with regular soapy sprays..

Syngonium had them as well - on this one I actually saw them moving on the undersides of the leaves after it started developing small dry patches. Caught early and now clean (hand picking, soap spray, removal of top layer of soil)

Philodendron Basil came severely infested with thrips from the store... Clearest sign - disfigured new leaves and dry/discolored marks all over oldest leaves. This purchase has surely taught me a lesson It was finally cut to the ground and is slowly regrowing fresh vines with nice leaves. Appears to be clean with regular soap sprays..

They even attack the tough sansevieria! Until today, I was sure it was some bacterial/fungal crown problem... looked like rust in the center... Damn.. I've literally just figured this one out after reading this .. No one on a houseplant forum could explain what was happening to my hahnii and I decided to get rid of them to prevent the spread of "infection"..

Once you learn to notice them, you start seeing these critters everywhere

Btw, the above linked article says "Primary foliage hosts for thrips are: Aphelandra, Ardisia, Dieffenbachia, Ficus, Nephthytis, Philodendron, Sansevieria and Schefflera."

Inspect each plant regularly, flip some leaves to check undersides for feeding marks or movement.. + try to clean you plant shelves regularly and remove all fallen leaves.

sorry for a long post.. I guess it sums up my own experience as another "newbie dealing with thrips".. Maybe it will help someone to start seeing them sooner..

[OrcishOrchids]

No thank you for answering my post, it's really helpful!

[OrcishOrchids]

Got everyone gathered and sprayed down with the permethrin. When I inspected them prior to spraying, only the orchids had any sign of them, so hopefully it is containable. I never had anything but a couple fungus gnats before I rescued the phals so this is all new.

[MiniMoth]

Nice picture of your green family! It's still a very manageable size it seems