Carrot fly: how to deal with it with folk remedies, how to process

The question of how to deal with a carrot fly in the garden, when the pest appeared and what to do so that the problem does not arise, worries many vegetable growers. These insect pests cause significant damage, spoil the crop and interfere with the development of the root crop.

Signs of a problem

To start the right pest control tactics, you need to know what a carrot fly looks like. Its size is about 5 mm, the color is black and yellow, the wings are transparent. Active dispersal begins in the second half of May. Insect larvae that emerge from eggs have a light yellow hue and reach 7 mm in length.The eggs themselves are white and yellow.

The larvae that appeared on the beds feed on root crops, making moves in them. As a result, the plant develops poorly, and the crop loses its taste and useful qualities. Often the fly appears due to high humidity, shady areas overgrown with weeds.

The carrot fly is spreading fast. You can suspect her activities by the following signs:

first a purple hue will appear on the leaves, then it turns yellow and dries;
on root crops numerous cracks and moves;
the root crop changes shape, bends, pulls.

If carrots with purple leaves are found, they should be immediately removed from the site so that the larvae do not crawl onto a he althy root crop. The affected vegetable begins to rot and smell unpleasant over time.

Preventive measures

How to process a vegetable to prevent the settlement of insects? You can protect yourself from flying flies with compounds that have a pungent odor. They overpower the sweet carrot flavor.

Protection of carrots from carrot flies can be carried out with the help of preventive measures:

control measures are to select and plant those varieties that are resistant to the pest (Nantes, Perfectia, Calgary);
planting carrots is better in a lighted, dry area, next to onions;
after sowing, it is recommended to thin out so that there is a distance between vegetables;
after harvesting in autumn they dig up the ground again;
should avoid over-watering;
You can reduce the risk of flies by planting carrots where garlic, onions or tomatoes used to grow.

Insect-resistant varieties contain chlorogenic acid.It is its specific smell that repels pests.

In the midst of the spread of pests in the garden, you can buy special chemicals from the carrot fly that will prevent the disease.

How to protect carrots from carrot flies? You can use folk recipes based on natural ingredients:

You can protect vegetables from pests with dry mustard or ground pepper. The smell of these products keeps insects away.
Helps repel pests infusion of wormwood. The collected grass is poured with boiling water and left to infuse. Before watering, the solution must be diluted with water, and the grass should be placed between the rows.

If you follow all the rules, then the carrot will be protected and will not be attacked by carrot flies. But if the larvae have already settled in the garden, such actions will not be enough.

Pest Control

How to get rid of carrot flies in the beds? There are many ways. Many agronomists opt for insecticidal preparations. They fight the fly and prevent it from reappearing. But you need to use them, strictly observing the dosage and dilution rules. Do not forget about personal protective equipment (respirator, glasses, gloves), as poisons are dangerous for the human body.

Processing of carrots from midges is carried out in cloudy, dry weather without wind. A spray gun is useful for spraying, with which it will be possible to distribute the drug evenly on the site. When a carrot fly is found and how to deal with it, the most common drugs will help: Aktara, Vantex, Decis, Fitoverm.

For protection against carrot flies, the biological preparation Fitoverm is used. It helps to escape from many insects. The emulsion has a specific smell and a sticky base.After spraying, the drug gets inside the insect while eating the leaves. Begins to act in 10 hours. Spray should be in the evening. 0.5 ml of insecticide is diluted in a liter of water.

Aktar's drug not only helps to destroy pests, but also benefits the plant. This carrot fly remedy can be used as a spray or watering a vegetable under the root. In the latter case, the action of the substance in the soil lasts two months. Thanks to the composition of Aktara, root development is stimulated and crop germination improves.

During the departure of the insect, the plant should be sprayed, preferably in the morning or evening, on a calm, clear day. In 10 liters of water, dilute 3 g of spraying agent and 8 g if root application is meant.

After being treated with chemicals from the carrot fly, the root crop can be eaten no earlier than 21 days.

Recipes from the people

How to get rid of carrot fly without chemical additives? Many gardeners prefer self-made formulations based on natural ingredients to chemicals. Folk remedies have been widely used for many years and are absolutely harmless to plants and humans.

The fight against carrot fly folk remedies allows you to save the harvest. Many formulations are able to deal not only with adult pests, but also with their larvae:

To spray the crop, a tincture of garlic and onion against carrot flies can be used. Spicy products in the amount of 300 g are crushed and poured with two liters of boiling water. Leave to infuse for a day. After that, the solution is diluted in 10 liters of water and 50 ml of soap are added.
How to save an infected plant? Spraying with infusion of tomato tops will help. The tops are crushed and poured with boiling water. Then you should cook for another 30 minutes on the fire and leave to infuse for about 6 hours.After that add 50 ml of soap. Between the rows, you can lay the tops that were poured.
Ammonia keeps insects out and won't harm the soil. Add 30 ml of the substance to a bucket of water. It is useful to water the plant with a similar solution in May, when summer begins, and in July.
An orange solution has an unpleasant smell for insects. Dried fruit peels are poured with water and infused for three days. The resulting solution is recommended to process the tops.
The area between the beds can be sprayed with kerosene. In a liter of water, it is necessary to dilute 100 g of kerosene. During spraying, there should be small droplets, since its smell is enough to repel insects. Kerosene does not penetrate vegetables, so there will be no smell and, moreover, no taste.
Birch tar helps to cope with carrot fly. In a bucket of water, it is enough to dilute 35 g of the substance. The resulting solution is useful to cultivate the land two days before planting carrot seeds.In July, when processing a plant, it is useful to add crushed laundry soap to a solution with tar.

Birch tar has an oily, viscous base with a pungent odor. It is obtained by processing birch bark. The composition with tar is able to fight not only with many pests, but also has an antiseptic effect on the plant.

Personal experience of vegetable growers

The fight against insects in carrot beds is carried out in various ways. The most famous have been described above. But sometimes vegetable growers, without studying the peculiarities of growing carrots, come to the right result from their own experience.

Elena, 32:

“I learned about the carrot fly when I first planted carrots in the furthest corner of the ground, where the soil is often wet. I thought the conditions were perfect for growing. But, unfortunately, the entire crop was spoiled by small insects with wings.No matter how much they fought, the situation could not be corrected. Only later did I find out it was a fly.

Now I only plant in dry areas. I noticed that even laid eggs die without moisture. Now I advise everyone: thin out, weed and water the beds with infusion on onion peel. It not only fights pests, but also contributes to a juicy and he althy harvest.”