Topic: Beating carrot fly

[flower]

Hi don't know if anyones posted anything the same as this but it would take ages to check all carrot related threads so posting this anyway  ;)

Read in a book at waterstones other day by someone called Steve Jones think the title was the worlds greatest  gardening tips or something similar

Carrot fly females hate seeing other females ( their reflection) and will attack until it dies so place handbag mirrors every metre or so back to back and the carrot fly will see their selves reflected and therefore attack until they literally beat themselves to death against the mirror

I cant say if this works or not as i haven't tried it yet but i intend to do so using my multiples of free AOL discs which Ive collected from supermarkets and b&q but worth a try don't you think

[busy_lizzie]

Thats an interesting theory Flower.  It is certainly worth a try as some people are really plagued by carrot fly. Old Cd's are very easy to come by, and stringing them up would be quite straightforward, so it would be an interesting experiment.  busy_lizzie

[supersprout]

LMAO! Definitely worth a try, just to watch!
 ;D ;D ;D

[flower]

I know poetic justice for the bluggers  ain't it supesprout ;D and busy Lizzie get all the lovely new shiny Cd's that you need by picking up handfulls from the shops by the till usually ( no i don't mean shoplift ::) ;D) there are always promo discs  for AOL and some other companies free for the taking  put them back to back and theres your reflective surfaces

[Emagggie]

I was given this book for Christmas and had read the carrot fly tip.I thought it sounded worth a try. The cds are a brill idea.(Saves me filching the daughters handbag mirrors). There are some really good ideas in the book, though.

[Scope254]

Do you think the CDs should be strung in a line and if so, how high? Or should they be nailed vertically down  poles?
It sounds like a really interesting test to try.

[Emagggie]

Book says back to back at one yard intervals along the row.
The carrot fly will attack her reflection until she drops dead at base of mirror (cd).!! eew.......

[Emagggie]

Missed vital bit, she flies at a height of about 1 1/2" above soil, so I suppose it doesn't matter too much how they are fixed. Perhaps you could just wedge them in.

[tlc]

The Gardeners World programme on allotments that was repeated the other week had a man who earthed up his carrots when the greenery was about 3-4" high and he claimed that it protected his carrots from carrot fly - maybe worth a try as well?

[Jimmy]

So would it be a case of thin them and then earth them up?

Most info relating to the critters seem to mention the fact it is when the carrots are thinnned the fly is more of a problem.

[daisymay]

Yeh I have heard that - they are attracted to the scent, best to thin last thing at night apparently. May is also the worst time so plant them early I guess too.

Manuel (aka the OH) has planted ours in a couple of old flip top bins (without the lid) and fleeced over the top, so see how we go. Carrot Fly can only fly about 1ft high or something like that, so theory is they won't be able to get in.

[Jimmy]

Well so far no grief and I grow mine in raised beds made of gravel boards so maybe that helps???

Also sow them in old rose containers, can move them about and drag them in the warm come the end of the season as well.

[ChrisH]

Carrot fly tips that I have heard are;

1. the time you plant them (I think its twice a year when the females lay eggs - can not remember when)

2. put mesh (very thin) all around (it has to be above a specific height, mentioned earlier)

3. heap up soil around the carrots at the correct time of year when they are laying eggs

4. cover the carrots totally on removing to weed, thin and harvest (but you have to replace once done)

5. companion planting, something that masks the smell of the carrots (I think onions is one of them but never tried this)

6. finally, raised beds/containers so to top of the container is above the height mentioned in a previously post

[MrsKP]

don't forget the bath !!!

 ;D

[weedbusta]

planting in the bath definetly works. planting garlic among the carrots is supposed to mask the smell and seems to work too, but i love the thought of the wee fly battering itself to death off a c.d. must eat more carrots to improve my eyesight!!

[MrsKP]

i planned on planting alternate rows of onions and carrots in the bath and mum's sent me some chive seeds today, so i might put an edging of chives around the bath to add some more smelly things.

i might hang a cd up for the wee flies to preen themselves, it is a bath after al  ;D

[Hyacinth]

KayPee, don't forget the French marigolds too - want some seeds? ;)

[supersprout]

LOL LOL KP! ;D ;D ;D What a lovely picture.

i might hang a cd up for the wee flies to preen themselves, it is a bath after al  ;D

Hope you're going to post a pic of your bath later in the year ;)

[MrsKP]

a pic with all the splattered flys ?????  ;D

now you are taking the peeeeeeeeeeeee  :P

thank Lishka, but i've got enough marigolds to open a marigold farm (courtesy of mum's next door neighbour).  I've just got to grow the things. 

oh btw, paid for the greenhouse yesterday and the VERY nice woman at norfolk-greenhouses said that men tend to have more diffculty building them than the girlies, cos they won't read the instrructions.  i hope this don't turn into one of Deeds sagas  ;D

[Curryandchips]

I have always planted my carrots and onions adjacent to each other, and appear to have minimal (fingers crossed) problems with carrot fly. I will definitely be planting some cd's around as well though, it can't do any harm ...