Carrot Fly
Attacks all members of the family Umbelliferae, which includes carrot, celery, dill, fennel, parsley and parsnip.
Attacks on seedlings will kill plants, but this damage is unusual.
There are two distinct generations each year, the first starts in mid June in the north, and the second starts in August.
In areas where a lot of host plants occur, particularly close to commercial carrot crops, the generations can be very
prolonged and overlap.
The pest overwinters as pupae in the soil or in old host plant roots. The adult flies are about 8mm (?") long and back with yellow legs and irridescent wings.
The female carrot fly does not need to feed before laying fertile eggs. She flies close to the ground, so vertical physical barriers around the crop about 25cms (1') high will reduce the level of attack.
The female finds host plants by smell, normally in the evening or night, and lays eggs in cracks in the soil adjacent to plants. She is particularly attracted by damaged plants so avoid thinning the crop in the evening and water it immediately after thinning to reduce the smell.
Companion planting with very aromatic plants, eg garlic, basil, marigolds etc, can reduce the females ability to find the host plant, but this is only a partially effective control measure and needs to supplemented with other methods.
Covering the crop with Enviromesh fine mesh will prevent carrot fly adults reaching the crop, but the edges must be well secured. Avoid growing one susceptible crop after another as there may be carrot fly pupae in the soil.
Covering the crop at the two high risk periods will substantially reduce crop damage.
Flyaway is a variety that resistant to carrot fly attack.
Attacks on seedlings will kill plants, but this damage is unusual.
There are two distinct generations each year, the first starts in mid June in the north, and the second starts in August.
In areas where a lot of host plants occur, particularly close to commercial carrot crops, the generations can be very
prolonged and overlap.
The pest overwinters as pupae in the soil or in old host plant roots. The adult flies are about 8mm (?") long and back with yellow legs and irridescent wings.
The female carrot fly does not need to feed before laying fertile eggs. She flies close to the ground, so vertical physical barriers around the crop about 25cms (1') high will reduce the level of attack.
The female finds host plants by smell, normally in the evening or night, and lays eggs in cracks in the soil adjacent to plants. She is particularly attracted by damaged plants so avoid thinning the crop in the evening and water it immediately after thinning to reduce the smell.
Companion planting with very aromatic plants, eg garlic, basil, marigolds etc, can reduce the females ability to find the host plant, but this is only a partially effective control measure and needs to supplemented with other methods.
Covering the crop with Enviromesh fine mesh will prevent carrot fly adults reaching the crop, but the edges must be well secured. Avoid growing one susceptible crop after another as there may be carrot fly pupae in the soil.
Covering the crop at the two high risk periods will substantially reduce crop damage.
Flyaway is a variety that resistant to carrot fly attack.
