Carrot fly damage?

[Shorty2506]

Hi,

Harvest 2 carrots yesterday to have with dinner and both was covered in this.
Can anyone confirm if this is carrot fly damage. The reason I thought it was as when carrying them back to the house I had a black bug thing jump on my hand a bit me!!

If this is carrot fly damage can the carrot still be used or do I need to throw them in the bin??

Also one of the carrots was covered in lots of big shoots/ roots the whole way down the carrot.

Many thanks

P.s when I had my allotment 4 years ago we never had any problem a all with bugs!!

[WilliamD]

Not sure that that's carrot fly Shorty, unless they've only just started. CF damage tends to look like very dark, black cracks across the width of the carrot.

[Penellype]

It could be carrot fly damage, although it looks a little "clean" - carrot fly tend to leave brown scarring on the outside of the root and tunnel deep inside. You'll soon find out if you peel the carrots - carrot fly leave small brown tunnels throughout the roots, with the white maggots sometimes visible. You can eat the parts of the roots that are not affected.

It is quite normal for carrots to develop extra roots when damaged, and this is one of the signs of carrot fly. The leaves also go red in a bad attack.

I've no idea what it was that bit you - carrot flies don't bite as far as I am aware. You are most unlikely to notice the actual flies, just the damage caused by the larvae.

[Shorty2506]

The inside of the carrot looks fine, just the outer skin. There r no maggots or tunnels at all. There was no damage to the leaves, they looked perfect!

The bit might not have been carrot fly then!! I am going to pick my next carrots smaller.

Thanks for ur help

[Two_Sheds]

one of the carrots was covered in lots of big shoots/ roots the whole way down the carrot.

That tends to indicate too much nitrogen. Have you fed them? (you shouldn't)