Mangold larvae in Beetroot

[hnesb]

I've just discovered my modest patch of one month old beetroot has been infested with Mangold larvae causing many of the leaves to wilt. They're easy to remove once they're big enough, but by that time they've already caused a lot of damage.

I had look around the internet and found very little information - does any one have any experience dealing with these pests?

Thanks!

[Two_Sheds]

never heard of it, but googled this> Bayer CropScience UK - e-Tools - Mangold fly

It's a leaf miner, it doesn't infest the beetroot itself right?

[hnesb]

Your right, they are in the leaves, I forgot to specify. They look like soggy brown blisters that slowly grow across the leaves - I've been 'popping' the blisters with a small stick and tweezing out the grubs (they're pretty big - about 5mm long), all very slimy and unpleasant!

[Two_Sheds]

I would imagine that like with most leaf miners, they don't do much damage to the actual crop