It is a shame when dug up root crops, which seem large and attractive at first glance, upon closer inspection turn out to be riddled with numerous passages made by carrot fly larvae.
This means that the gardener did not take measures to combat this malicious pest.
What are some ways to prevent carrot fly attacks?
1. A set of preventive measures begins in the fall. In particular, it includes deep digging of beds (with turning over the soil layer) before frost sets in. During cold weather, the pupae remaining in the soil die.
2. A necessary measure is to follow crop rotation rules. Carrots cannot be returned to their old place earlier than three years later. The best predecessors for them are legumes, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, radish, cabbage.
3. Experienced vegetable growers advise choosing hybrid varieties that are resistant to pest damage. The packets with such seeds should have a special sign.
4. To avoid the harmful effects of insects, carrots should be sown at the earliest possible time.
5. The choice of site is of great importance. The carrot fly likes shade and moisture. Therefore, the vegetable crop should be placed in dry, well-lit and wind-blown areas.
6. Loose plantings are more resilient. Therefore, regular weeding and thinning are important. Weeds and weak shoots are removed from the bed immediately.
7. It is useful to loosen the soil. It is done after rain or watering. At the same time, you can add repellents to the soil, for example, dry mustard or ground pepper.
8. A big mistake is using fresh manure as fertilizer. But mulching crops with peat is the right decision.
9. Planting carrots together with onions or garlic has a positive effect. The smell of calendula or marigolds, which can be planted nearby, also repels the carrot fly.
10. You can try to protect crops using covering material placed on arches.
11. Perhaps traps made from, for example, a plastic bottle will help someone. Bread kvass can be used as bait.
12. There are many folk remedies against carrot flies: ammonia, ash, kerosene, tar, tobacco. A decoction of tomato tops is also used: 4 kilograms of tops are poured with 10 liters of boiling water and infused for two days. Then 50 milliliters of liquid soap are added and the carrot bed is sprayed.
