Have you ever jab up yourcarrotcrop only to ascertain the roots riddled with tunnels and scar ? Carrot rust fungus flies may be to blame . This very pocket-sized , burnished black fly has an orange head and legs , and while the adult do n’t cause damage to carrot , their larva for sure do .
Carrot rust flies overwinter in the garden and emerge in the spring . After breeding , distaff flies lie eggs near emcee craw , let in carrots , parsnips , celeriac , Petroselinum crispum and celery , . The result larvae forthwith burrow into the soil and begin fertilize on the unfledged theme , leaving tell - tale tunnels and pit behind . As the tooth root mature throughout the time of year , so does the carrot rusting pilot maggot , cause more grievous damage as the summer progresses . Here are a few steps for managing Daucus carota sativa rust flies without resorting to chemic warfare .
1. Rotate Crops
Carrot rust flies are wretched fliers and ca n’t move around far to find their host plants . Plant carrot and other susceptible crop in anew locationevery season . endeavor to opt a site that ’s windward of the location of last twelvemonth ’s harvest . Carrot rusting fly determine their host plant by feel and opt to fly upwind , so they ’re less likely to name your young carrot crop if it ’s sit downwind .
2. Plant Around The Pest’s Lifecycle
Because the first genesis of carrot rust fungus flies emerges and begins to breed in April and early May in most parts of the commonwealth , delay planting your carrot until late May or early June . At this point , you ’ll be between generation and will avoid any major legal injury . In parts of the commonwealth where a second contemporaries occurs , breeding does n’t take berth until August and September .
3. Cover Your Plants
In lodge for female cultivated carrot rusting flies to lay their eggs , they must have approach to the host plants . plow your carrot crop with a stratum of floating row cover will keep the pests from doing any legal injury . Be trusted to take a summertime - weight fabric and immobilise down or bury the edges to assure this petite tent-fly ca n’t splay underneath to lay eggs .
4. Confuse The Female Flies
Because female Daucus carota sativa rust flies chance their legion plant via it ’s smell , companion plantingto mask the carrot industrial plant ’s typical fragrance may be helpful . This diversionary tactics work well if carrots are inter - planted with onions , garlic , chives , or other member of the Allium cepa family . Their potent perfume helps “ veil ” the carrot from the egg - laying fly .
5. Practice Good Carrot Hygiene
Discarded roots that are overrun with carrot rust fly larvae often serve as overwintering site for this gadfly . If you have a harvest that ’s been infested , do n’t just put away the roots onto the compost plenty where the larva can continue to live . alternatively , burn them , toss them in the garbage or eat up them at least a foot deep . In many pillowcase , carrot rust vaporize maggot damage can be trim out of the carrot , and the undamaged portion of the carrot can still be used in the kitchen .
6. Release Beneficials
Beneficial nematodescan be relinquish into the soil near the cultivated carrot craw to facilitate control the larva . metal money of nematodes in the genus Steinernema are most effective if applied in the spring agree to the packet instructions .
