Thrips may be small, ranging from 0.6 to 0.88 millimeters in size, but they have great economic notoriety within the citrus industry. On the fruit, thrips puncture epidermal cells, leaving silver scars on the rind. Larvae feed mainly under the sepals of young fruit, causing the scar tissue to make a ring around the fruit. While thrips don’t destroy the interior of the fruit, their blemishes on the fruit’s exterior reduce its appeal.

To combat thrips, Syngenta recommends the use of insecticides like Minecto® Pro, which offers broad-spectrum control of thrips from petal fall until fruit is 1”. Minecto Pro harnesses the power of 2 complementary active ingredients, cyantraniliprole and abamectin, to control overlapping pest populations.

When applying an insecticide for thrips, target the spray on the outside canopy of the tree. Citrus thrips gravitate toward the outside of the canopy near the sun, so cut back on the wind velocity of the sprayer.

To learn whether Minecto Pro is approved for use in your area, visit this page. For more information, talk to your Syngenta representative.

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