Thrips damage to High Tunnel Cucumbers
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Cucumbers thrive in high tunnels but so do the pests that love them so. This week I saw extreme feeding injury caused by thrips, not just to the leaves which is typical, but to the fruit as well. Unfortunately we don't have many control options, and with so many generations a season this is a particularly difficult pest to control.
An organic option is spinosad (Entrust) and a conventional option is Baythroid, both approved for tunnel application. Bio-control options exist but must be introduced early and repeatedly to keep the thrips population in check. They are not effective once the pest population is well established. Both western flower thrips and onion thrips can infest and significantly damage cucumbers.
For more information on thrips, mites and other high tunnel pests see the Sustainable Pest Management in Greenhouses and High Tunnels, a SARE factsheet based on Judson Reid's research below.
This article was printed in the May 24th, 2018 issue of ENYCHP Veg News. To view the full newsletter, click here.
Sustainable Pest Management in Greenhouses and High Tunnels (pdf; 1444KB)
Apples
Apricots
Asparagus
Beets
Blueberries
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cherries
Cucumbers
Dry Beans
Eggplant
Ethnic Vegetables
Garlic
Grapes
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce / Leafy Greens
Melons
Nectarines
Onions
Parsnips
Peaches
Pears
Peas
Peppers
Plums
Potatoes
Pumpkins / Gourds
Radishes
Raspberries / Blackberries
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Snap Beans
Squash - Summer
Squash- Winter
Strawberries
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Upcoming Events
Rulfs Orchard Vegetable and Berry Field Meeting
August 4, 2026
Peru, NY
Join CCE vegetable specialists Elisabeth Hodgdon and Chuck Bornt for a vegetable and berry field meeting at Rulfs Orchard, in Peru, NY. We'll tour the farm's fields and talk about integrated pest management of sweet corn and cucurbit crops. Then, we'll view a drone demonstration and discuss new technologies for pesticide application and spotted wing drosophila management in berries. Light refreshments will be provided. A rain date will be announced if adverse weather is predicted.
Field Day at Philia Farm
August 6, 2026
Johnstown, NY
Visit organic seed production trials and tour the farm to see small-scale production systems at work, including tarping, cover cropping, and the use of assorted mulches and covers to modify the growing environment.
Capital Region Orchard Twilight Meeting
August 11, 2026
Rexford, NY
Join the ENYCHP and Cornell scientists on August 11 for the Capital Region Orchard Twilight meeting in Saratoga! We will be touring Bowman Orchards and reviewing seasonal recommendations for pests and diseases for apples, plums, and berries, as well discussing crop insurance.
NYSDEC Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credits: 1.25 in categories 22, 1A, & 10. Refreshments will be provided.
Free to attend, however we do ask that you register ahead so we know how many people to expect.