Why is the carrot fly dangerous for the harvest? This small pest is capable of destroying large quantities of carrots, parsley and celery crops. The carrot fly begins its "dark" business in the spring, when the surface layer of the soil warms up from the sun's rays to about 15 degrees Celsius. In this layer, the pupae of this pest wait out the cold. They are not afraid of any frosts. At this time, carrot flies of the first generation appear, and in just a season they can appear twice.
Spring flies lay large numbers of eggs right at the base of the carrot stem within three weeks of emergence. In just a week, larvae will emerge from the eggs, which will begin to feed on the young fruits of the carrots. Traces of a carrot fly on vegetable plants are visible to the naked eye, as numerous wormholes and small holes appear on the root crop. The green tops suddenly begin to turn yellow and dry out.
During the first summer month, the larvae feed on vegetables and soon turn into pupae, so that after a while the second generation of pests is released into the world. This happens around the middle of the summer season. The carrot fly hibernates well not only in the beds, but also in cool, damp basements and cellars.
Fighting carrot fly agrotechnical methods
Everyone has their own vulnerabilities or weaknesses, and the carrot fly also has them. It is necessary to use them in order to protect vegetable crops.
1. It is recommended to use mixed plantings - carrots plus onions. The smell of onions scares the fly away, and it will not eat carrots that grow in the same garden with such an unpleasant aroma.
2. The flower aromas of calendula and marigolds are also not to the liking of the carrot fly. You can safely plant these flower crops in the aisles. They will not only scare off the pest, but also decorate the summer cottage.
3. This pest has one feature - the fly does not fly higher than 80 centimeters in height. This makes it possible to protect the carrot beds without the use of chemicals. You just need to cover the land plot with carrot beds around the perimeter with any lightweight and air-permeable material. Even old tulle will do. To care for vegetables, do not forget to leave yourself the opportunity to go inside the fence.
4. In order not to create favorable conditions for the carrot fly, such as shade and moist soil, it is recommended to water the carrots no more than once a week. And it is better to plant plants at a distance from each other.
Fighting carrot fly with folk remedies
If for some reason you do not dare to use agrotechnical methods of dealing with carrot fly, then choose one of their proven folk methods.
1. The first method will require a certain amount of material investment. We are talking about the use of various biological products. Most often, the drug "Summer resident" is used, with the help of which spraying is carried out in the spring (at the beginning of May) and in the summer (in mid-July). This effective remedy is only dangerous for carrot flies and is absolutely harmless to pets, birds and people.
2.If you add 1 tablespoon of ammonia to a bucket of irrigation water, then the plants will receive nitrogen fertilization and protection from the pest. The fly doesn't like the ammonia smell. This watering is carried out twice - in May and July.
3. In a ten-liter bucket of water, add a small amount of table salt (about 25-30 grams). You need to water the carrot beds with this solution twice - in the first and third week of June.
4. The first preventive treatment against the pest should be carried out at the initial stage of plant development. Young seedlings with two or three full-fledged leaves during thinning must be sprayed with a prepared infusion of onion husks or tomato tops (possibly from wormwood or yarrow).
For 10 liters of hot water, you need 800 grams of one of the plant species. The infusion is kept for 48 hours, and filtered before use. The herbs or onion skins remaining after pressing can be spread between the carrot beds.
5. In the same initial period, you can use another infusion for spraying young plants - based on citrus fruits. 500 grams of dried orange (or tangerine) peel should be poured with 5 liters of warm water. Three days in a warm and darkened room - and the infusion is ready for use.
6. The weak point of the carrot fly is the negative reaction to harsh aromas. These unpleasant odors include naphthalene. Tablets of this drug should be placed in half-liter plastic containers with several cut holes, closed with a lid and spread between carrot plantings. With the first rays of the sun, an unpleasant smell will appear and scare away the pest.
7. Dusting between rows is also considered by many gardeners and gardeners to be an effective tool in the fight against carrot fly. This procedure is recommended to be carried out twice (in the spring - in May and in the summer - in July) during periods of active departure of the pest. Ground pepper (red or black), dry mustard, tobacco dust can be used as "powder". The preparations are poured in the immediate vicinity of vegetable crops. Their bright aroma will keep the pest out even close.
Please note that compliance with the rules of crop rotation and joint planting still gives a greater effect in the fight against carrot fly.
