DID THRIPS BOTHER YOU ON 
YOUR GLADIOLUS ? 
During the past few years an insect called the “Gladiolus 
Thrip” has been giving some trouble in certain parts of the 
country. If you failed to obtain good bloom last summer, the 
flowers having a stunted withered appearance, or possibly the 
buds drying up before the flowers had a chance to come out, 
the chances are that Thrips were to blame. These insects are 
so small that they easily escape notice altogether, even where 
the plants are carefully examined. The young are almost too 
small to be seen with the unaided eye. The very young are 
straw color, the half-grown are orange, and the adults are 
black except for cream-colored bases of the wings. This pest 
comes in the wind from neighboring gardens or fields, breeds 
on the plants, and goes down on the bulbs in the fall and win¬ 
ters over on the bulbs in storage. 
When the plants have become so infested that the damage is 
quite noticeable spraying is not effective for the reason that 
the insects are under the leaf or bud sheaths where the spray 
cannot reach them. Preventative treatment, therefore, 
should begin with the bulbs in storage to kill both thrips and 
eggs, and then follow up with a spray to get the migrating in¬ 
sects, which may come to you from nearby fields, before they 
have a chance to get under the leaf and bud sheaths. So 
here’s what to do, if you are located in a thrip area, and have 
reason to expect trouble: 
After your bulbs have been cleaned of the old bulbs and 
roots, which operation is best done in early December after 
they have been cured a few weeks, sprinkle Naphthalene 
Flakes over the bulbs at the rate of about 1 oz. to 100 bulbs in 
a paper bag, tray or box, and let stand a month or two. 
If your bulbs have become scabby or diseased, they may be 
benefited and possibly cured by the following process: In the 
spring, just before planting, pour almost boiling water over 1 
oz. corrosive sublimate (poison) in an earthen or wood dish, 
just enough to dissolve it. Add this solution to 5 or 6 gals, 
lukewarm water, avoiding a metal container. Soak your 
bulbs in this solution for 2 hours and then plant as they are. 
This treatment will also kill any thrips and eggs which may be 
on your bulbs, but does not completely take the place of the 
naphthalene flakes, as the flakes kill during the winter before 
the insects have a chance to breed in storage. 
A spray to protect your plants from thrip infestation from 
nearby fields or gardens may be made by dissolving 1 
rounded tablespoonful Paris Green (poison) and 2 lbs. brown 
sugar in 3 gals, water. Spray every week or so. 
An 8-page leaflet entitled “The Gladiolus Thrips”, con¬ 
taining more complete information, with illustrations of the 
insect, pictures of damage to plants and bulbs, etc., will be 
mailed for 10c in stamps. This may be of great value to you. 
Will mail a box of Naphthalene Flakes sufficient to treat 
1000 bulbs for 25c. This price includes postage to Zone 4. 
More distant points, 5c extra. Write for price in quantity. 
19 
