strong>Carrot fly (latin name – Psila rosae) is a disaster, and it is worth knowing how to avoid it.
The carrot flies lay eggs in cracks of the soil, near carrots & parsnips. The eggs hatch
out into maggots which enter the roots & feed on them. They ruin the crop.
* Carrot flies are not strong fliers, so a windswept site is an
advantage.
* Grow a resistant strain.
* Sow seeds thinly, to avoid having to thin the carrots out, as the
fly is attracted by the smell
* weed & pull carrots on a dry, still evening so the scent of the
carrot does not reach the fly
* use a net to keep the fly off the carrot
net
*use a vertical barrier, at least 70cm high, of fine mesh or
polythene around the crop
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