Do Thrips do this?

[davidwood]

Occasionally I will get a ring under the bud, the ring will slowly darken and the bud will off. Are Thrips the cause of this, or something else.

[Charlie]

David, that idea is part of part of hibiscus lore that has been passed along over the years. I've never been able to confirm it one way or the other. Thrips do lay eggs inside of flower buds and it would make sense for them to help those buds fall onto the ground since the next stage of a thrips life after hatching is to leave the bud and burrow into the ground.

Charlie