Carrot Fly - What Next?

[amandaandherveg]

I thinned my lovely carrots last week, went back 2 days later only to find that they have been nobbled by carrot fly - totally gutted.

This is the first time I've had to deal with them - could you tell me what crops are safe to sow/grow afterwards? I've got some Mange Tout that will be ready to plant out next week - would that be a safe option?

[Two_Sheds]

How do you know they've had carrot fly within 2 days?

You don't usually find evidence until you pick the carrots and find them full of brown tunnels.

[Two_Sheds]

could you tell me what crops are safe to sow/grow afterwards? I've got some Mange Tout that will be ready to plant out next week - would that be a safe option?

Carrot fly only attacks carrots.

With peas, you need to worry about pea moth

[Aberdeenplotter]

Carrots affected by the larvae of the carrotfly will develop a purplish tinge or perhaps yellowing. As TS says though, you wouldn't normally see signs of this so quickly after thinning unless of course the signs were there already. Is it possible that you were a wee bit rough when thinning and disturbed the roots of the plants that were left? Another point to ponder though is that carrot fly normally manifests itself in two distinct flushes, the first in May and the second in August when the next generation comes along.

[chris]

I had a couple carrots last year with carrot fly in them - I just cut off the bits they'd tunneled into, and ate the rest.

I did prod out the larvae, and then compost the bits they'd munched on Waste not want not, and all that

[Aberdeenplotter]

I had a couple carrots last year with carrot fly in them - I just cut off the bits they'd tunneled into, and ate the rest.

I did prod out the larvae, and then compost the bits they'd munched on Waste not want not, and all that

That's a pretty poor effort at waste not want not. You shoulda ate the maggots as well

[chris]

I never said I didn't... I just didn't want to gross people out

Bit o'protien like. Surprisingly gritty though.

[Florence Fennel]

Didn't I read somewhere on here that the foliage turns red when carrot fly are present, or am I dreaming again? ('twouldn't surprise me).

[Florence Fennel]

I never said I didn't... I just didn't want to gross people out

Bit o'protien like. Surprisingly gritty though.

You'd need to try harder than that Chris

[Bren In Pots]

I never said I didn't... I just didn't want to gross people out

Bit o'protien like. Surprisingly gritty though.

I think they taste much better when cooked

[Florence Fennel]

Sterilised Bren, so much more hygienic