Preventing Thrips Scarring to Nectarine Fruit

Western flower thrips are the major problem with growing nectarines in the Las Vegas valley.If not sprayed, fruit can get terribly scarred. The fruit is safe to eat, but who would want to?

Nectarine fruit scarred from Western flower thrips

These tiny insects appear at the time of bloom and begin ripping and tearing into the surface of the immature fruits as soon as the blossoms drop from the tree. If left unchecked they continue to rip and shred the fruit surface with their rasping mouthparts causing the fruit to scar and leak sap. The leaking sap crystallizes and remains attached to the fruit where it is scarred. The resulting fruit is deformed, ugly and looks inedible. But it is not. The fruit is still good and tasty.

           

Western flower thrips. Picture from University of California IPM Project.

To keep the fruit from becoming scarred and deformed, pesticide applications must be used. One of the best organic approaches is to use the insecticide called spinosad. Spinosad is applied to the fruit with spray applications until harvest. It should be combined with a spreader/sticker additive to the spray mix. Follow label directions.
 

It doesn't say it but this product from ferti-loam has spinosad in it and is labeled for fruit. Otherwise look for the name Spinosad in the ingredients.

It is a must to change off your pesticide applications with others to prevent the possibility of developing chemical resistance to this product. This is called rotating your chemical applications. Other organic sprays you can alternate with include insecticidal soap, and neem oil.