Thrips in Arizona....

Hello list members,
I'm writing because I'm at the end of my rope here.
We recently bought 3.3 acres in lovely Maricopa,
Arizona (zone 13).

When we moved here, this last December, there was nothing
here except tumbleweeds and prairie grass.  We've worked
the garden soil, added mountains of manure, gypsum, peat
and lots of water. :0)

I've worked my fingers raw putting in flower beds and filling
them with flowers & various trees.  In this wonderful Spring weather
everything has been growing beautifully.  The roses
are blooming and the lawn is thriving, however now, I've got a
huge problem with Thrips.

They seem to love anything with yellow or white flowers but
aren't too picky as they are on everything now.  I've hosed
them off only to find them back within minutes.  Now they are
killing my Navel Orange and are starting in on my roses...

They are going to spoil all my hard work and I fear I'll not
have a garden at all if I don't find some way of controlling them.

I've read through my garden Bible (Sunset Western Gardener's), heard from
all the nursery folks that say to spray them with malathion, diazinon,
ect....  However, I'm hoping and praying that someone here, on the list, may
have a more organic method.

I'm not completely against spraying them with poison, if it
means I won't be able to have a garden unless I do, but I
would far rather not.

I'll try any ideas you may have.  One neighbor suggested spraying them with
furniture polish.  I tried that on one of my Shasta Daisies... the blooms
fell off and the Thrips moved to the next flower. :P

Please, help?

~Rachel
Maricopa, Arizona (zone 13)


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