This information can also be valuable for making agronomic decisions on sowing dates and harvesting. Yep - I have a frame that fits over the raised bed which I cover in fleece each year - looks a bit like a table with a white cloth on it from the distance. There are now suppliers of small (for domestic/school garden use) to large commercial tunnels. The carrot fly poses a serious threat to carrots and can damage up to 90% of the roots. The adults don’t do any damage, but after the eggs hatch, larvae immediately burrow into the soil and start feeding on the roots. It's put on as soon as the carrots go in and comes off only for weeding and harvesting. It lays its eggs in the soil, right next to the carrots. Thanks for all of the support from customers and readers that have made it possible for Tactical Fly Fisher to become a full time pursuit. Carrot fly. Carrot root fly larvae can also invade the roots of parsnips, parsley, celery and other herbaceous plants. They can result in aesthetic damage and in severe instances, will lead to profit loss amongst commercial growers. Threshold. As with most companion planting advice there is conflicting evidence on its effectiveness, so it’s worth experimenting in your own garden. Carrot fly tends to lay its eggs in the late afternoon or after rain so beware of these critical times. The carrot fly, a tiny black insect with a yellow head, lays its eggs near carrots (and other members of the carrot family), and they hatch into tiny white maggots that tunnel into the roots and feed. and other related crops within the same family. There is also a variety called 'Flyaway' from Thompson & Morgan. Completely encircling your carrot crop with allium family plants such as onions, leeks or chives is believed to literally throw carrot fly off the scent. Although you may think that this fly gets its name because it spreads rust – a common fungal disease seen in plants – you’d be incorrect! The presence of the carrot fly is a big threat for the growth of carrots. The fly is small, around 0.15 inches (4 mm) long with a dark body, a yellow head, and see-through yellow wings. The carrot fly still is one of the most common pests in the growth of carrots. Keeping carrot fly and other nasties at bay. By monitoring the population can be monitored and actions can be taken when necessary. Due to the fact that the fly can only fly about two feet (61 cm) from the ground, covering the plants with a protective mesh or two-foot high barrier around them, or planting them in pots which are kept high on a table, may be effective. I've never had (or at least the carrots haven't had) carrot fly since using this method. Some growers use varieties that will over-winter and mature before the root fly is active. Carrot rust flies (Psila rosae) are well known to growers of carrots, parsnips, celeriac, celery and other umbelliferous crops.The adult females are attracted to the odor of the host plant, and lay their eggs at the crown of the plant. Carrot rust fly, carrot root fly, or Psila rosae is a significant pest to carrots. We've still got some glitches with the new platform to work through and a lot of blog posts to move over from the old site, but hopefully all of our past posts will be available soon. It's that time of year again when seeds are sown and seedlings are transplanted out into the veggie garden. Carrot rust flies reproduce multiple times during the gardening season, so if the problem isn’t dealt with, a new set of hungry larvae may appear later in the season. Poly-Tunnels - a sure fire way to keep carrot fly at bay. Timing the planting of carrots to miss the three active periods of the carrot fly larvae may also help. 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