How to treat carrots against carrot flies: what to water with from folk remedies, how else can you get rid of them, how to protect crops before thinning and protect them after it? Russian farmer

Even the largest harvest of juicy root vegetables can be destroyed by such a harmful insect as the carrot fly, which causes trouble for gardeners. She gnaws both the fruit itself and its above-ground shoots from carrots. The article offers various methods and recommendations for exterminating this garden pest.

Description of the insect and the damage it causes

It is a member of the Psilidae family.
The size of the insect is 4-4.5 mm. The fly can be recognized by its black abdomen and chest, red head and yellow legs. The wings are transparent, oblong in shape and have brown veins. The damage to carrots is caused by larvae. Their length reaches 5 mm. The color is light yellow. The larvae resemble worms in appearance. They have no legs or heads. You can recognize insect-infected carrots by several signs of the disease :

The leaves turn purple, then turn yellow and dry out.
The passages made by the larvae appear on the root collar.
The root crop becomes covered with tubercles. An unpleasant odor begins to emanate from him.

Signs of infection

You can tell if a crop is infected with a carrot fly by the presence of several signs:

Purple-reddish tops that dry out over time;
Noticeable passages at the base of the fruit root;
Purple-red hue of the part of the root crop protruding above the soil surface;
Lumps on the surface of the vegetable;
Dark brown passages on the dug up fruit;
Black dents, cracks, and constrictions are noticeable on the surface of the vegetable;
Infected root vegetables have an unpleasant odor and are bitter.

Seasonal and temperature factors

During the season, the fly makes two clutches : in May and at the end of July or August. She places eggs on the root collars of carrots:

In warm weather (+20-24˚С), the new generation will hatch in 5-7 days.
If cold weather sets in, this process will take about two weeks.

The larvae immediately begin to feed on the root crop.

After 3 weeks, the larvae climb into the soil to a depth of 10-20 cm to turn into pupae.

Reasons for appearance

Flies appear in carrot beds looking for food. They begin to fly in the spring. The first clutches of eggs are made at the base of young green carrot shoots. The larvae go into the roots of the vegetable. They pupate in the soil. In June, the first generation of sexually mature flies appears. And after 2-3 weeks, the next one is ready for fertilization.

The autumn brood of larvae pupate in root crops . Such contaminated carrots, which were planned to be stored all winter, quickly rot and disappear. The female gives more offspring if the summer is warm and watering is plentiful.

How can you protect your garden in the future?

To protect the beds, the following methods should be used.

Special care measures

In the fall, you need to dig up the soil to a depth of 20 cm. This will help destroy pests located in the soil (those in the soil and all other main pests of carrots are described in another article).
Planting is carried out in a sunny area located on a slight hill.
You need to adhere to crop rotation. Carrots are planted after green manure, potatoes, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumbers, garlic or onions. The crop can be grown in the same place after 3 years.
You need to plant onions or garlic next to the vegetable to repel insects.
Overwatering should be avoided. Moisturize carrots once a week.
The crop should not be fed with manure, as it may contain fly larvae.
The plantings should not be allowed to become dense. Carrots are thinned at least 3 times during growth. The beds are mulched with peat.

Treatment with special preparations

To destroy larvae in the soil, use:
Bazudin (30 g per 20 m²);
Provotox (4 g per 1 m²).
The culture is sprayed with Actofit solution (10 ml per 5 liters of water).
During the growing season, the plant is treated with Inta-Vir (1 tablet per 1 liter).

Using traps

You can make traps in different ways. One of them is the use of plastic bottles:

Cut off the top of the container and turn it over so that the neck is at the bottom.
Then they insert it into the bottle and pour bread kvass.

Insects will react to the smell and become trapped.

The bait can be made from pieces of paper or fabric. The material is lubricated with a mixture of equal parts of castor oil, honey and rosin, and then laid out on the beds.

Prevention measures

compliance with planting rules - do not plant carrots in the same place for two years in a row;
crop rotation - sow carrots in places where tomatoes, onions, and radishes previously grew;
thinning of plantings, however this method is not applicable to contaminated soil;
with already damaged soil - initially sparse planting on the tape;
combining beds with onions or garlic;
compliance with the irrigation regime;
seed treatment before planting;
deep plowing of the soil in autumn and spring;
fertilizing the soil with compost and humus, rather than fresh manure;
the use of green manure - yarrow, wormwood.

If possible, carrot beds are moved from year to year over long distances - about 500 meters, however, this method of prevention is applicable mainly for large plantings and commercial agricultural enterprises.

Also, to prevent infection and spread of the pest, it is not recommended to plant other umbrella plants in neighboring beds - dill, parsley, celery, turnips.

List of varieties resistant to the pest

There are no carrots with absolute resistance to the carrot fly . But there are varieties that are least susceptible to attack by these pests. This:

Calgary F1.
Olympus.
Nantes 4.
Shantanay.
Amsterdam.
Cardinal.
Maestro F1.
Flyway F1.
Nantik Resistafly F1.
Perfection.
Vitamin 5.
Flakke.
Incomparable.
Losinoostrovskaya.

These varieties are low in chlorogenic acid, which attracts insects.

To prevent the appearance of carrot flies, carrots must be grown in accordance with agrotechnical requirements. If the crop is already affected by insects, folk and store remedies will help get rid of them. When choosing a variety, you should give preference to carrots, which are not of interest to the pest.

When cultivating carrots, every stage is very important: preparing planting material, sowing seeds, care. If all the nuances are not taken into account, then the appearance of diseases and pests is a matter of time. Read about what diseases the vegetable is affected by, as well as how to get rid of them, on our website.

Remedies for carrot flies

It is difficult to get rid of such a voracious insect. Some gardeners spend more than one year trying to destroy the parasite. To do this, they have to use toxic components, plant-based products, folk wisdom recipes and other methods.

Failure in the fight against carrot flies can result from untimely processing of plants, incorrect ratio and dilution of the concentrated composition, and inattention to the crop stored in the basement for winter storage.

Various methods can be used to achieve results in the fight against harmful insects. This can be an agrotechnical method, recipes based on folk remedies, treatment of carrot plantings with chemicals, etc.

For preventive actions, safe formulations prepared from soap solution and herbal infusion are suitable. If there are too many pests, then you will have to use effective insecticides. When carrying out agrotechnical measures, the risk of carrot insect development will be significantly reduced.

Insecticides

Traditional methods are suitable only for preventive spraying, since in case of a large invasion of winged pests they are low in effectiveness. In this case, spraying of carrot beds with insecticides is required.

Chemicals can destroy carrot flies in any form. Such drugs are especially toxic and belong to hazard classes. Before you start processing the beds, you must carefully read the instructions. According to it, dilute the solution to the desired concentration.

If you use chemicals incorrectly in the fight against voracious insects, you can significantly spoil the future harvest. If the concentration is not observed, you may not get results. Weak concentration leads to addiction to the insecticide, which complicates the fight.

Popular chemicals and their effects.

Arrivo. Concentrated emulsion made with cypermethrin. The active substance makes up 25% of the total volume of the drug. The systemic product begins to work upon direct contact with the carrot fly in the treated area;
Decis. A universal insecticide that helps destroy harmful insects in the larval stage. It is moderately toxic and does not decompose in soil. Sold in three types: granules soluble in water - 25%, emulsion solution - 2.5%, powder version with a high concentration - 12.5%. Pests enter the body through treated plants and root crops;
Aktara. The product is very effective. It contains thiamethoxam. Sold in different dosages and forms. The chemical is not afraid of rain. Destroys many types of harmful insects, not just carrot flies.

On a note! The herbal preparation Fitoverm works well against carrot pests. During the growing season of carrots, you can spray with Vantex.

Rules for using insecticides:

It is recommended to process carrot beds in the morning or in the evening;
Spraying should be carried out only in dry weather without wind;
The prepared solution is used to treat the above-ground part of carrot plantings, as well as the soil near the plants;
Repeatedly after seven days.

Popular: Eight reasons for blackening of spathiphyllum leaves

Each drug has instructions that indicate the number of necessary procedures. After spraying, carrots can only be eaten after three weeks, otherwise you may get poisoned.

Effective methods of control

It is not easy to overcome carrot fly; methods to prevent its occurrence are considered the most effective. When the eggs are abandoned and the root crops are infected, there is no longer any talk of a good harvest.

All methods of control are used together, an integrated approach is used. Well-thought-out agricultural technology prevents the appearance and spread of flies. Folk and chemical methods scare away from the beds and destroy adults and larvae.

Agrotechnical

Knowledge of agricultural technology, that is, farming technology necessary for the full growth of a crop, helps reduce the risk of pest proliferation on plantings. Agrotechnical methods for growing carrots consist of many necessary conditions. Let's look at them in detail.

Proper planting of carrots

Carrots should not be thickened when planting. When using questionable seeds, gardeners try to scatter more, fearing that a significant portion will not sprout. To protect against flies, experienced gardeners plant carrots in separate small groups, at a considerable distance from each other. At the same time, there are no significant plantations with dense tops and high shade, where it is constantly humid, the foliage rubs in the wind, attracting flies with its smell.

An excess of plants in the garden creates conditions for the fly to silently breed in the thickets. When thinning, the aroma of carrots spreads throughout the area, attracting the pest and finding a desirable place for laying eggs and hatching offspring.

The best option is to purchase high-quality seeds and plant carrots at a distance of several centimeters so that there is no need to thin out.

Using proven varieties

There are no varieties of carrots that the fly fears and avoids. Not a single type of crop shows complete resistance against the pest. A study of the preferences of the carrot fly showed that it is attracted to varieties with a large amount of chlorogenic acid in the foliage. Excess carotene and sugar in fruits are unpleasant for the fruit.

Breeders have created varieties in which the fruits are sweet and the tops do not attract adult insects. Note that if there is a bed with other types of carrots nearby, the fly will fly there, but in their absence it will use the existing ones for reproduction. Let us highlight several varieties that are considered the most resistant to the pest.

Vitamin 6

They are grown in all regions of the country, including the coldest. The sugar content is 7-11%, which, according to the breeders, protects against carrot flies. Root vegetable in the shape of a cylinder with a blunt end. Weight – up to 170 grams, diameter – centimeters. The core is unexpressed, star-shaped. The harvest is harvested in August-September.

Vitamin 6 is characterized by good preservation of fruits, resistance to cracking and drying out in storage. The sweet taste and high carotene content make the fruit healthy when eaten fresh.

Perfection

Late ripening variety, used for winter storage. High levels of carotene and sugar. Perfection easily tolerates drought and lack of watering; with proper irrigation, it resists carrot flies well. Perfectiona cylinders weigh up to 190 grams, the variety produces up to 4.5 kilograms of fruit per square meter. Can be sown in winter.

Losinoostrovskaya 13

The yield of the variety is up to 7 kilograms per square meter. The fruits have a pronounced orange color and are stored well until the end of spring. The weight of the root crop is up to 100 grams, the skin is loose and glossy.

Grown in all regions, the variety is resistant to flowering and low temperatures. The fruits grow downward and do not appear above the soil, so they do not turn green at the top. Use in any way, including for baby food and juice.

Nantes 4

A popular variety, distinguished by even, identical fruits. Lasts until the next harvest without loss of quality. Cylinders of Nantes 4 grow up to 160 grams, have an unexpressed core - juicy and slightly rounded or angular. Nantes 4 is the best variety of the Russian selection group; it develops successfully in many regions with different climates. Requires regular watering and loosening; planted in well-lit areas.

Incomparable

The variety is cultivated in most regions and has been known since 1943. It is distinguished by a small number of eyes on carrots, and the lateral roots are thin. The color of the pulp is even, the middle is faceted. Late variety, ripens up to 120 days. It is stable and retains its taste until the end of storage. This variety is recommended for fresh consumption due to its good taste.

Calgary F1

The variety is classified as resistant to carrot fly. The blunt-conical fruits grow up to 22 centimeters. They are stored well without losing taste or cracking. The yield is high, carrots ripen in 3 months. Among other varieties that summer residents consider resistant to flies, we highlight Nantik Resistafly F1, Amsterdam, Chantane.

Site selection

Carrots need to be watered frequently, but damp, low-lying areas should not be used for planting. It is better to choose a small hillock open to the sun and wind. Good ventilation of plantings will provide additional protection from carrot flies. If there is no dampness around, the insect will find areas with a more humid environment.

The best neighbors for carrots:

onion;
garlic;
strawberry;
tomato;
potato;
peas, beans;
salad;
radish.

Do not plant next to carrots due to the risk of common pests:

dill;
parsley;
celery;
horseradish;
beets;
under the apple trees.

There should be no dense thickets of weeds nearby, which are the habitat of adult individuals. The carrot fly also loves wild umbrella plants and settles in their bushes.

Neighborhood with onions

The beneficial mutual influence of onions and carrots is confirmed by agronomists. Crops mutually protect each other from pests.

The smell of onions repels carrot flies, and the tops of root vegetables repel onion flies. Summer residents skillfully use this sympathy by planting crops in parallel rows.

What is important to consider:

different watering times; It is better to plant crops not together, but in separate beds, with separation;
Onions and carrots need to be planted at the recommended time, which again requires separate beds.

By observing these conditions, gardeners improve the development and protection of both plants.

Refusal of manure

According to tradition, it is believed that manure only brings benefits during the growing season. Carrot beds are not fertilized with manure. If organic matter has been added, you will have to select another area for carrots, and plant the crop for the next year.

Carrots on manure will grow with coarse lateral roots, bearded, and the fly will happily lay eggs near loose, fertilized soil.

Boarding time

Protection against flies is considered to be at the earliest possible time of planting, when the larvae are not activated in the soil. The best time is mid to late May, depending on the region.

Autumn digging of the garden

Fly larvae and pupae remain in the soil, go into torpor during the winter, and continue to develop in the spring. Autumn digging up of the site helps to disrupt favorable conditions for wintering. It is important to remove all remaining organic matter from the ground - roots, pieces of carrots, tops. Eggs and insect larvae are especially carefully selected from the soil.

In winter, they dig to the maximum depth, leave the layers of earth unbroken, and turn them over, raising the inner part to the surface. This way the soil is ventilated and freezes stronger. Comfortable conditions for wintering are disrupted, larvae and pupae die.

Correct predecessors

Crop rotation is used to improve soil composition and protect against pests. Properly choosing a rotation of crops to grow on a site reduces the risk of infestation by common insects and diseases. Carrot beds are regularly moved to another place so that in the absence of their favorite food, the larvae and pupae die in the soil. You can return carrots to their original place only after 3 years. Let's determine the best predecessors for carrots.

Tomato

Tomatoes do not have common pests with carrots, so next year they can be sown in place of tomato beds.

Garlic

Smelling garlic contains essential oils that are unpalatable to carrot flies. The particles left in the soil from last year will protect the carrots from flies next season.

Onion

Onions, according to agronomists, are the best comrade, predecessor, and neighbor for carrots. The mutual influence of crops helps them cope with pest invasions. The green part of the onion can repel carrot flies; particles of the bulbs remain in the soil and continue to protect the carrots the next year.

Treatment with biological products

The use of biological products for seeds and young plantings of carrots increases immunity, stimulates growth and development. Carrots become more resistant to pest invasion and tolerate temperature changes more easily.

Azotophyte

The biological product is made on the basis of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which feed seeds and young shoots with nitrogen. This speeds up the growth of green mass in carrots and gives the plants the strength to resist the invasion of the fly. It also contains fungicides, amino acids, and vitamins that help protect young shoots from adverse conditions and diseases.

During the preparation of the seed, the seeds are soaked for 1-1.5 hours in an Azotophyte solution and then dried. During the growing season, it is allowed to water at the root and spray the tops regularly, every 10-14 days.

The drug Trichodermin

The product is classified as biological; it is prepared on the basis of the fungus Trichoderma Lignorum, vitamins and barley extract.

To increase the stability of carrots, several methods are used:

seed treatment;
spilling soil in autumn, spring, beds during growth;
spraying the green part.

Trichodermin protects carrots from various types of pests, strengthens immune forces, accelerates the growth and ripening of fruits, and increases productivity.

Moderate watering

Carrots require regular watering to grow, but excess moisture attracts carrot flies. You need to choose the right irrigation scheme so that the water does not stagnate in the soil and goes to the root crops. In wet weather, watering is reduced and drainage is carried out.

Mulching beds with organic matter helps to retain moisture. Mulch covers the soil and tops of carrots and prevents weeds from growing. When the top layer of soil dries out, it is useful not to water the beds again, but to loosen the soil.

Using egg trays when planting

Inventive summer residents have come up with a simple way to provide each carrot with a personal territory, protect it from thickening and the need for thinning. Cardboard egg cells are used in several ways when planting:

Sowing carrots at home in cardboard egg containers. Once the desired weather has established, the cells with young seedlings are transferred to prepared beds. When planting, holes are made under the carrot seedlings so that they can more easily penetrate the bottom.
Using cells to mark beds. They are simply pressed onto the soil and then removed. Seeds are planted in the holes, ensuring the required distance for each carrot.
The cells with the holes cut out are laid out on the garden bed, sunk into the soil and filled with soil. Seeds are thrown into the nests designated for the eggs.

The containers themselves act as mulch, decomposing in the soil.

Using spunbond

Carrots grow well at low temperatures, but covering the beds with spunbond creates more comfortable conditions for seed germination and the development of young growth. If the beds are covered tightly, the fly will not be able to get inside and throw eggs.

Some gardeners cover the crops with non-woven material only until mass shoots appear. Others leave the spunbond for a longer period, especially when growing early varieties of carrots. When using covering material for a long time, you need to carefully seal the edges so that the carrot fly cannot penetrate the seedlings.

Use of chemicals

Many summer residents prefer to use chemical agents against carrot flies. When justified and necessary:

with an annual fly invasion, a heavily infested area;
on large carrot plantations;
the inability to plant crops far from last year’s beds.

The industry offers a wide range of chemicals that are effective against carrot flies.

Important: the scope of action of the drugs is large; with one remedy you can protect carrots from different types of pests, without having to accurately determine the species.

Arrivo

It is sprayed onto the tops at the rate of 1.5 milliliters per 10 liters. It is enough to treat 1-2 times during the fly's flight.

Decis

It protects carrots well from various types of flying pests. Doesn't wash off in the rain. Decis is not used if there are bees and hives on the site. Toxic for some types of vegetable and garden crops.

Aktara

The advantage of the drug is the possibility of use for soil and systemic action. The substance thiamethoxam penetrates into root crops, and pests are poisoned by the juice and pulp of the tissues. Also used for spraying tops.

Fitoverm

Belongs to the group of biological products. The action of Fitoverm is slightly delayed - 24-72 hours. The drug is low toxic. To completely eliminate the fly, repeated treatments with the product will be required.

Vantex

In case of massive infestation by carrot fly, plants are sprayed with the maximum permissible dose, thoroughly spraying all the tops. When working, shake the product, since the drug consists of microcapsules that quickly settle in the solution.

Boreas

The drug contains two insecticides that provide different types of action. Due to this, hidden larvae and adults are destroyed. You can process carrots at any time, Boreas does not decompose in hot weather and in the sun.

Inta-Vir

The insecticide replicates the structure of natural substances contained in some plants. It fights well against carrot flies and 50 other pests. Among the disadvantages of Inta-Vir is the rapid adaptation of the fly to its action. Do not use it more than once a year; it has no effect on larvae and eggs.

Karate Zeon

The new drug has a record duration of action - 4-12 weeks, protects carrots throughout the fly's summer. It does not affect only eggs; all other stages of an insect’s life are within the sphere of activity of Karate Zeon.

Corado

The drug is quickly absorbed into carrot tissue and begins to act after 2-3 hours. Active against all stages of fly development. Corado is not dangerous for plants, but it is very harmful to bees. It remains in soil for up to 8 months.

Tzipi

Imported insecticide. It has a high degree of activity and small dosages for effective action. Frequency of treatment – 2. Begins to act in a few hours. Analogue of Arrivo in terms of active substance.

Rules of application

You can wait until the carrot fly is completely eliminated only with the correct use of insecticides. It is strictly not recommended to underestimate or exceed dosages. A low concentration will not eliminate the fly, but a high concentration will cause significant damage to plants and the environment.

It is important to read the instructions and follow the spraying times, weather conditions and other recommendations when using. It is necessary to observe the frequency - even if the fly disappears, the beds are processed again within the specified time frame.

Almost all drugs have the third level of danger - you need to work in personal protective equipment, remove children and pets from the area. Do not spray chemicals before harvesting. After processing, carrots from the garden cannot be eaten; it is important to explain this to children.

Use of folk remedies

Plants and improvised means are used to repel flies - they cannot tolerate many odors and fly away to other places. It is important to carry out protective measures at the beginning of summer, when the carrot fly is just starting to look for a place to lay eggs. Here are the most common ways to protect carrot plantings.

Decoction of tomato tops

Tomato tops should not be disposed of if you need to fight carrot flies. 2 kilograms of chopped tops are boiled in 5 liters of water for 30-60 minutes. Cover the bucket for 4-5 hours and let it sit. When using, dilute with 3 parts of water, adding unscented liquid soap (30 milliliters).

Wormwood decoction

Fill the bucket to the top with fresh wormwood. Pour boiling water over and keep at a low simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the infusion and strain. When using, prepare a solution, the ratio is 1 part wormwood decoction to 8 parts water. Spray the green part and water the soil. Place the wormwood between the rows and regularly lay out fresh bushes.

Onion infusion

Prepare an infusion of 300 grams of chopped onion in 2 liters of boiling water. Infusion time is 24 hours. An infusion of garlic is made in the same proportions. You can mix onions and garlic in arbitrary proportions, based on the given standards. You need to spray the greens, the top of the carrots and the soil around them.

Ammonia

A tablespoon of alcohol is poured into 4 liters of water. You should not exceed the dosage - you can harm the carrots.

Tobacco dust

Tobacco dust is carefully mixed with sand and sprinkled on the ground between the rows and on the sides of the bed.

Mustard

To protect carrot beds, dry mustard is poured around the bushes. Note that wind and rain quickly wash away and carry away light powder.

Black or red pepper

Both types of ground pepper are used to repel flies by scent. Some summer residents make a decoction of red hot pepper, spill the soil around the beds and spray the carrot tops.

Saline solution

Water the green part of the carrots with a salty solution. Solution – 20 grams of salt per 10 liters of water. Stir until completely dissolved and pour into a spray bottle.

Pine infusion

The pronounced odor of coniferous essential oils is unpleasant to the carrot fly. Needles are used in several ways:

make mulch for carrot beds based on coniferous residues - needles, bark, branches;
prepare a solution of pine extract for spraying carrot tops - 250 grams of dry matter per bucket of water;
young needles with small branches (250 grams) are poured with water (a bucket) and left for 24 hours.

Solutions are sprayed onto the tops and around the beds.

Naphthalene

Mothballs are placed in plastic bottles or containers with many small holes. Lay them out on the garden bed and around it. It is important that the smell is noticeable.

Birch tar

A thick, odorous product repels carrot flies with its scent. A tablespoon of tar is poured onto a bucket of water. Seed furrows are shed when planting. The second treatment is carried out in July. Add 20 grams of crushed laundry soap to the solution.

Kerosene

Small containers with kerosene are placed near the beds. You can use plastic bottles. Kerosene is poured to 1/5 of the volume, multiple holes are made in the upper part and the container is pressed into the ground.

You can only spray very small bushes (2-3 leaves). Consumption – 100 milliliters of kerosene per liter of water.

Comprehensive measures

Getting rid of carrot pests is not easy. Only a set of measures, including agrotechnical and folk methods, helps, and in case of high infestation, the use of insecticides.

It is important to plant and water carrots correctly. Use preventive methods of protection to prevent contamination of the area. Sick carrots are immediately removed from the garden. If there are already larvae in the soil, they will move to neighboring bushes. In this case, only systemic insecticides can help.