Effective folk remedies to fight carrot fly
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 get started on 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 distribution begins in the second half of May. Insect larvae that emerge from the eggs have a light yellow tint, reaching 7 mm in length. The eggs themselves are white and yellow.
The larvae that appear on the beds feed on root crops, making moves in them. As a result, the plant does not develop well, and the crop loses its taste and useful qualities. Often the fly appears due to high humidity, shaded areas, overgrown with weeds.
The carrot fly spreads quickly. One can suspect her activity on the following grounds:
- first, a purple tint will appear on the tops, then it turns yellow and dries;
- there are numerous cracks and holes on root crops;
- the root crop changes shape, bends, is pulled over.
If carrots with purple leaves are found, they should be immediately removed from the site so that the larvae do not crawl onto a healthy root crop. Over time, the affected vegetable begins to rot and smell unpleasant.
Preventive measures
How to process a vegetable to prevent insect colonization? You can protect yourself from flying flies with compounds that have a pungent smell. They overpower the sweet carrot aroma.
Protecting carrots from carrot flies can be carried out using preventive measures:
- control measures are to select and plant those varieties that are resistant to the pest (Nantes, Perfection, Calgary);
- it is better to plant carrots in a lighted, dry area, next to onions;
- after sowing, it is recommended to do thinning so that there is a distance between the vegetables;
- after harvesting in the fall, they dig up the ground again;
- excessive watering should be avoided;
- You can reduce the risk of flies by planting carrots where garlic, onions or tomatoes used to grow.
The varieties that are insect resistant 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 for carrot flies that will prevent disease.
How to keep carrots from carrot flies? You can use folk recipes based on natural ingredients:
- You can protect the vegetable from pests with dry mustard or ground pepper. The smell of these products keeps insects out.
- Helps scare away 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 must 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 drug
How to get rid of carrot flies in the garden 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 breeding 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 bottle is useful for spraying, with which it will be possible to distribute the drug evenly over the area. When a carrot fly is found and how to deal with it, the most common drugs will help: Aktara, Vantex, Decis, Fitoverm.
To protect against carrot flies, a 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 after 10 hours. It should be sprayed in the evening. In a liter of water, dilute with 0.5 ml of insecticide.
Aktara drug not only helps to destroy pests, but also benefits the plant. This carrot fly remedy can be used as a sprinkling or watering root vegetable. In the latter case, the effect of the substance in the soil lasts two months. Thanks to the composition of Aktara, root development is stimulated and the germination of the crop improves.
During the flight of the insect, the plant should be sprayed, preferably in the morning or evening, on a calm, clear day. In 10 liters of water, 3 g of the spray agent should be diluted and 8 g, if it is intended to be applied under the root.
After treatment with chemicals for carrot fly, the root crop can be eaten no earlier than after 21 days.
Recipes from the people
How to get rid of carrot flies without chemical additives? Many gardeners prefer self-made compositions based on natural ingredients to chemicals. Folk remedies have been widely used for many years and are absolutely harmless to plants and humans.
Fighting carrot fly with folk remedies allows you to save the harvest. Many compounds are able to fight not only with adult pests, but also with their larvae:
- For spraying the crop, a tincture of garlic and onion against carrot fly 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. The solution is then diluted with 10 liters of water and 50 ml of soap is 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 over the fire and leave to infuse for about 6 hours. Then add 50 ml of soap. Between the rows, you can lay the tops, which have been poured.
- The ammonia will keep insects out and will not 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 the 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. It is recommended to process the tops with the resulting solution.
- 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. It is enough to dilute 35 g of the substance in a bucket of water. 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 tar composition is able to fight not only many pests, but also has an antiseptic effect on the plant.
Personal experience of vegetable growers
Insect control in carrot beds is carried out in various ways. The most famous ones 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 years old:
“I learned about the carrot fly when I first planted carrots on the farthest stretch of land, where the soil is often wet. I thought the conditions would be perfect for growing. But, unfortunately, the entire crop was spoiled by small insects with wings. No matter how they fought, the situation could not be corrected. Only later did I find out that it was a fly.
Now I plant only on dry terrain. I noticed that even laid eggs die without moisture. Now I advise everyone: thin out, weed and water the beds with infusion on onion peels. It not only fights pests, but also contributes to a juicy and healthy harvest. "
