Dang those thrips.

I posted to a garden forum I frequent regarding my thrip problem. I thought I'd pass along a link I received from a very helpful user. I'm reading the link now, and finding it helpful.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7429.html

Particularly this:

"No pesticide provides complete control of thrips. In comparison with other insects, most thrips are difficult to control effectively with insecticides. Reasons include thrips’ tiny size, great mobility, hidden feeding behavior, and protected egg and pupal stages. Improper timing of application, failure to treat the proper plant parts, and inadequate spray coverage are also common mistakes and can be more important in influencing the effectiveness of treatment than choosing which pesticide to apply."

And this:
"Narrow-range oil (Sunspray, Volck), azadirachtin (Safer BioNeem), neem oil (Green Light Garden Safe), pyrethrins combined with piperonyl butoxide (Garden Safe Brand Multi-purpose Garden Insect Killer, Spectracide Garden Insect Killer), and (at least for greenhouse thrips) insecticidal soaps (Safer), can be somewhat effective for temporary reduction of thrips populations if applied when thrips are present and damage first appears. These materials have the benefit of allowing at least a portion of the natural enemy populations to survive because they do not leave toxic residues. Sprays must be applied to thoroughly cover susceptible plant tissue, such as new leaf growth and buds. On plants with a history of severe, unacceptable damage, begin treatment early when thrips or their damage is first observed. Repeat applications (usually 5 to 10 days apart, depending on temperature) are usually required because these insecticides only kill newly hatched thrips and recently emerged adults."

These little bugs give me the eebie-jeebies. I'm planning a trip to a nursery this evening to ask questions.