Thrips on shaded hibiscus, I need help! :(

I live in Daytona FL

The person we bought this house from planted 2 hibiscus with beautiful pink flowers on the north west facing side of the house.

They need sun to kill the thrips. They get a ton of shade.

I have no way of transplanting them because its HOA and no one will take them. I have no more room around house.

The blooms are being eaten by thrips terribly and it makes me upset.

I chopped the plants down from 4 feet to half a foot.

What is the best solution to kill these bugs? What brands can you suggest? I really need to kill these little beasts.

I have used many pest sprays in the past with no luck, thrips hide in the buds.

Hibiscus is constantly trying to flower after heavy pruning. Thrips make the buds fall off.

I KNOW it is thrips. I have had thrip problems in the past many times.

Have you tried systemic products, like Bayer Rose and Flower care? Some thing applied to the soil for the plant to suck up and get into its tissues. Some people do not like them because the pesticide will be in the bloom where nice insects (bees and butterflies) can be exposed.

I have considered it but does that mean I won't be able to use the hibiscus flowers in my smoothies? Or is the pesticide food safe? Seems like bees don't have an interest in the hibiscus, but we have so many here, so it makes me a tad concerned.

You might try Neem Oil. It's tricky to use but used right, there is no comparison. It will only affect the bad bugs (the one's that are sucking the life out of your plants), not the good bugs. And it's not harmful to humans or other animals.

You have to spray at night so the oil is dry before the sun hits it. Otherwise, your plants will be burned. Also, buy 100% Neem Oil - no other additives. You have to store it in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before mixing.

It doesn't work instantaneously - patience is in order. The Neem Oil is absorbed by the plant and then eaten by the bugs. It may be a couple weeks before you realize the thrips are disappearing. In seasonal plants, like peppers and tomatoes, if you treat with Neem at transplant time, it will last the entire season.

With perennials, you will probably have to repeat yearly - in Florida, maybe more often. I have used it on Hibiscus to get rid of aphids. Worked like a charm.

Daisy

It's good to hear of an alternative to try. I have gotten to the place where I won't put any pesticide outside because of the damage to the beneficial bugs, but of course the price I pay is that something that has a major bug problem gets ripped out. I will try the Neem oil. I had tried it years ago but did not know the part that you just mentioned; it takes a couple of weeks to see the results. I think it might have worked but I didn't realize it.
Meanwhile, I do have lots and lots of bees and butterflies and so forth!

I would NOT use any systemic such as I suggested, on anything I would eat from.

I found out my neighbor has the same problem, for now I have cut back all the blooms and the plants way down. I will wait and see what my friend does and if it's a good idea, I will follow suit. I don't have a lot of money right now so it is hard to buy different pesticides. They can really be pricey. Thank you everyone for the suggestions and I will send you an update if something works out!

She also suggested a product to me called sevin insecticide dust that worked for her black aphids. She had black aphids on her hibiscus and they somehow flew across the street and found my peppers! I am now controlling them daily with homemade pesticide (habanero pepper, fresh garlic, castile soap, mineral oil, and water) and squishing them (eeeeewww!!!) whatever works!

God knows why they created black aphids in hot hot florida since black absorbs heat!

Sevin is a well known pesticide and aphids are a common pest. I doubt if they flew across the street they are a constant battle for many gardeners. Lady Bugs eat them.