carrot root fly - what to do?

[Oleander]

Morning all

I sowed some carrots in a large tub about two weeks ago, and the seedlings are up. I was admiring them today and noticed several orangy coloured little flies. Having searched images on google, I think these might be carrot root flies, so I have sprayed with an organic insecticide.

My question is, even if I get rid of the visible flies, is there any point in letting these seedlings carry on growing, or will irreversable damage have been done already?

thanks in advance

Oleander

[daylily]

I hope you are not spraying something useful as I think carrot flies are blackish.

Fleecing the carrots is a good way of protection. It would be guessing to say if they got infested during these two weeks or not, hopefully not. Some lucky people don't get them at all.

[Novice Gardener]

I can't help with what the flys are or how to deal with them, but a tip I picked up was to sow carrots near onions or garlic. I sowed mine between rows of shallots and garlic and I had a lovely crop. I was thinking about sowing some more now, just not sure if its a bit late?

[Two_Sheds]

carrot root fly is blackish, like a small housefly.

[lynda66]

could your orange flies be turnip sawfly?

[Snadger]

Enviromesh..........enviromesh............enviro-mesh! need I say more?

[zazen999]

Envirowhat - sorry, didn't catch that.

[cotswold]

Just saw those lovely photos.

Enviro...? Or Fleece?

Spray? Just shoo them away & then cover?

[Oleander]

Yes, Turnip Sawfly they are! I'll be investing in some mesh as soon as I can get to the GC, but in the meantime they seem to have gone - they probably drowned yesterday.

Thanks to all for the advice.

Oleander

[Two_Sheds]

Something else we can blame Oilseed Rape for!
Turnip sawfly was considered a serious pest of brassicas in the early 20th century but was thought to have been eradicated until the 1940s when it started to re-appear again as a pest and to establish itself in central, southern and eastern counties...Adult turnip sawfly activity in oilseed rape crops is likely to have been favoured by the warmer than average weather...as the adults fly only at temperatures above 18°C. The hot weather led to a third generation of turnip sawfly – normally there are only two - which coincided with the emergence of oilseed rape crops Farmers Guardian - The return of the turnip sawfly could provide headaches for OSR growers

[Two_Sheds]

PS. Can somebody change the title of this thread to Turnip Sawfly now that we know what it is?

[Oleander]

I'll try and change the thread title, as I started it, but in the meantime could some kind and wise person answer my question - which was, even if I get rid of the flies now, will they have done irreversible damage, and should I discard my baby carrots?

[Snadger]

I'll try and change the thread title, as I started it, but in the meantime could some kind and wise person answer my question - which was, even if I get rid of the flies now, will they have done irreversible damage, and should I discard my baby carrots?

If the foliage starts to take on a purple tinge, this is usually indicative of carrot fly damage and you may as well pull em up!

[burnie]

Old tale was to plant after June to miss the main "season" of the fly,of course that was before the balmy weather we get nowadays.There are resistant strains for future sowings.Regards this crop,do a bit of "thinning" if they look ok,leave them,if they're full of holes,I'd burn them myself.