Interesting info about the carrot root fly

[kippers garden]

If (like me) you are interested, there is some interesting information about the carrot root fly here:

http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/the-carrot-root-fly-a-rock-cake-tray-bake/

Hope this helps someone out there.

[kippers garden]

[Floyds]

If (like me) you are interested, there is some interesting information about the carrot root fly here:

http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/the-carrot-root-fly-a-rock-cake-tray-bake/

Hope this helps someone out there.

Thanks for the info. It was interesting but left out the crucial bit for me, that is at what stage is the carrot viable for attack. When they are small plants the roots are white and will not feed a maggot. As the maggot is produced one week after the fly has laid its egg the plants would have to be well developed in order to supply a meal for the maggot. I haven't bothered to net mine until after the second weeding when the root has not yet fully formed and I haven't had problems.....yet.

[kippers garden]

If (like me) you are interested, there is some interesting information about the carrot root fly here:

http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/the-carrot-root-fly-a-rock-cake-tray-bake/

Hope this helps someone out there.

Thanks for the info. It was interesting but left out the crucial bit for me, that is at what stage is the carrot viable for attack. When they are small plants the roots are white and will not feed a maggot. As the maggot is produced one week after the fly has laid its egg the plants would have to be well developed in order to supply a meal for the maggot. I haven't bothered to net mine until after the second weeding when the root has not yet fully formed and I haven't had problems.....yet.

Hi Floyd,  I have tried really hard to find the answer to your question without any success.  You are probably right that the carrot fly is only attracted to well developed carrots, though I don't take any chances and net mine from the day I sow them lol

Edit:

I have just read the carrot fly larvea eat the root hairs on the carrot before it burrows into the carrot....the root hairs form very early on in the carrots life cycle.  Hope this helps.

[davyw1]

I don't think the carrot fly really cares what size carrots you have, a full row of little interloped carrots all add up to big carrots, so it will quite happily work its way along the row but a bit quicker