Something is eating my leaves and I don’t know what. So far the normal IPM has not made a difference for the last month or two. First what is causing this? These two photos, top and bottom of what I am seeing. What is causing this?
Any ideas?
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Do you see anything flying around the plants?
Are you indoors?
It could be flies. Maybe they’re using that leaf as a toilet as that’s very little damage for that much poop. Either way try some yellow sticky traps. You can place it near soil level and if you catch anything you can get an idea of what it is.
The spots on top almost look more like water spots that got bleached though. I’m thinking you got a house fly or similar large fly visiting your plants.
I don’t remember my fungus gnats making that much poop without nearly killing the plant.
Either way that’s definitely a pest dropping or soil, but I’m doubting soil from that white bit on them making me think of old white crusty dog poop. Possibly sooty mold.
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The black dots in the first picture look like thrip frass. What controls have you attempted?
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I agree it looks like thrips infestation, check this thread, pics are pretty similar, you will find more info … 
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I sure does looks like Thrips, and thrips are fairly easy to deal with, these however, I have not been able to see any and thrips are pretty obvious running around. I have not been able to find any bugs for weeks and they have been getting sprayed (admit, with a light dose) weekly.
I planted a Walnut oh maybe two months ago and it also has funky Thrips looking spots also.
I’ll keep spraying, maybe moved to a three day rotation with different sprays and I’ll put out sticky traps, I have both yellow and blue.
Thanks for your thoughts.
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Put both colors out. The blue is more specific for thrips but the thrips will also be attracted to yellow.
What are you spraying? A three day rotation is probably too much.
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No, I meant I might try a three day rotation like if I had spider mites, I have been hitting everything about every ten days with Spinosad or safer soap. I also have some Bayer 3 in 1 I might try. These are my mothers, they just make clones as needed.
I put out yellow traps - I’ll put out blue later.
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can you post a picture of a leaf from a bit further back? spinosad should def. do the trick but waiting 10 days may be giving them enough time to lay more eggs. spray spinosad every 4 or 5 days for 3 treatments and it should solve it for sure, make sure to get the top of the soil and all up the stem as well.
but i’m surprised you haven’t found any living thrips, they’re pretty easy to see with the naked eye… you could try shaking the plant with A5 printer paper under it or also putting a little jar of apple cider vinegar covered with cellophane with holes poked in it right on top of your soil, you will see them floating in it after a day or 2 if you have thrips
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Hey, Thanks for the input. I am pretty sure it is not Thrips just because I can not find any and they are pretty common around here in the summer and fall. I am looking though, I set out traps last evening, so far the blue is nada and the yellow have a few fungus gnats which are a never ending battle in the coco i buy.
fresh photos as requested.
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Hey @oldfreak this has been the worst winter for gnats I’ve ever seen in Southern MI. Every time we had a warm spell where it got close 50F or above I would get them. Couldn’t figure out how until I saw them flying off of me and the dog after coming inside. Take your finger and drag some small channels on the top of the soil/coco until you start hitting moisture about 2-3 inches out from the stalk and you should be able to see if you have larvae.
What works for me is to start bottom watering only, soak the plants with a neem mix and DE the top of the soil. After about a week they should be taken care of. Then top water once and repeat the cycle. That should take care of any of the remaining eggs that get activated when watered. (note: I never neem flowers past 2 weeks)
They should be coming to an end for the most part until the fall. I’ve seen a big decline in them since things started growing outside and they have stuff to eat there.
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The new photo appears to show thrip damage.
If you are not trapping any then what you are seeing is old damage.
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yeah that definitely looks like thrips damage … try baiting them with apple cider vinegar
adult thrips can also fly so maybe take a real close look, i thought i had fungus gnats before because they were flying every time i watered but it turned out i had a bad thrips infestation
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