when I saw the title my first thought was with rice or tortilla chips! Sorry, I dont know what to suggest to be honest.

How about blasting them off with the garden hose? Would that work Tug?

Also I found this:

Oil derived from sweet orange peel has a 90 to 95 percent content of limonene, which is lethal to fleas, fire ants and flies. ... Placing bits of orange peel or zest around the garden repels flies and mosquitoes. Rubbing orange peel on the skin is a home remedy for preventing mosquito bites.

If your plants are suffering from mild pest infestation avoid using chemical pesticides and try to repel them by using citrus peels. Simply tear the citrus peels into small pieces place around the affected plant or tear a hole in the peel and attach the peel to a stem near the infected area. It may not be as effective as using chemical pesticides but it’s natural and organic

Read this:
https://balconygardenweb.com/citrus-peel-uses-in-garden/

I wish that I could send all my friends some nice Nachos, but they wouldn't be very nice by the time they got there! ;b :)
Bathgate, I have had little luck hosing down thrips. They are just too good at hiding inside the flower and leaf buds--especially chilli thrips. I do put shredded citrus peels around plants to repel ants that are farming aphids, mealybugs, and scale. Citrus oil does too much damage to foliage in our extreme heat for direct application.
Thank you very much for the info, though! So far, I have been spraying once every two weeks with spinosad, and I am looking at several natural enemies, but I want to explore all of my options.
I'm especially interested in what our friends in India and the Phillipines know, since I hear that they have been dealing with chilli thrips longer than we have.