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How to prevent Carrot Fly attacks

Prevention is better than cure (there is no cure)

Carrot fly attacks are very likely to occur once you start moving, even brushing up against, your crop, especially when thinning out.
Upon touching the leaf, they let out a scent and should there be any Carrot Fly in the area, they will pick up on it and begin their raid, landing on the plant and start laying their eggs.

The good news is they fly very low and horizontal which makes prevention a little easier.
There are a few ways of stopping them getting to your plants and the favourite is to screen them with fine mesh which will still let the light through.

Screening your Carrots

Carrot Fly Netting

This can be done using very fine mesh. Retail this is pretty expensive, but if you have any old net curtains sitting around doing nothing, they will act just as well.

If possible make the height above the plants at least 12 / 15" or to the level you feel the leaf will grow to. Some also put put it over the top as well, no problem but remember you may have to weed around the Carrots and thin out even more at some stage.

Other prevention Methods

Sowing Carrots next to Onions helps, the flies don't like the smell, or it could possibly be that the Onions shield the smell a little.

Thin the Carrots in the evening as light is going.

Firm the soil around where you've thinned, this may prevent some eggs being laid.

Prevention is key to avoid attack, once they're in, they're in and hard to get rid of. Also, the result of their destruction is not seen until you lift for harvesting and see the damage they've done.

Back to How to Grow Carrots

              

carrot fly netting around plants
Although Carrot Fly usually attack down wind, always best to surround plants completely

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