California Agriculture

Avocado thrips arrived in California in 1996. Since then, we have made substantial progress in our understanding of this pest. We now know the area of origin of the avocado thrips and have compiled an inventory of other potential pest thrips species on avocados in Mexico and Central America. Trials have helped us to identify several selective insecticides for use in treating avocado thrips in orchards. We have also determined the relationship between thrips densities on leaves and fruit scarring, and are studying cultural and biological control practices for use in an evolving integrated pest management (IPM) program.