Carrot root fly
Larvae bury into carrots underground
Carrots with tell-tale carrot fly damage
Description
Carrot root fly larvae bury into the roots of carrots, parsnips and celery.
Symptoms
Foliage of carrots turn red/yellow and may wilt. Roots tunnelled by maggots.
Treatment and control
General tips
No chemical treatment available but the following cultural advice is helpful. Sow seed sparsely and do not thin seedlings. Erect a 60cm (2ft) wall of polythene or fine mesh around crop to deny female fly access. Some varieties such as Fly Away, Maestro, Resistafly and Sytan are said to be more resistant that standard varieties.
