Thrip damage on avocado fruit

[chrobrego]

Hi,

This year my Lula avocados looked terrible -- extensive brown scabs on the fruit skin although the fruit interior was fine.  A google search said the damage was because of thrips.  Never heard of them.  How do you handle thrips on an avocado tree?  Anyone had any experience with this?

Thanks,

Shawn

[Epicatt2]

Shawn,

A thrips (= singular & plural) is a tiny insect with rasping mouthparts which it uses to scrape away plant tissues from the surfaces of leaves, flower petals, and fruit skins.  That results in an abraded area that scabs over and is unsightly.

Thrips control and prevention is thoroughly discussed on this website for California but should be applicable for the avocado thrips here in Florida:

AVOCADO THRIPS  (Scirtothrips perseae)
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/avocado/avocado-thrips/

OK — HTH

Paul M.
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