Folk remedies for carrot fly

One of the most famous and dangerous pests in the garden is the carrot fly. It not only infects carrots, but also completely destroys them. If the fly has managed to lay the larvae, then they will ruin the harvest. These carrots can be thrown away immediately. In this article, we will consider in more detail folk remedies for carrot flies, agrotechnical methods and prevention.

Folk remedies for carrot fly are the safest. Of course, they are practically not used when carrots are grown on an industrial scale, but for fighting in home beds, these methods are quite effective. Let's take a closer look at the plants that help to fight the carrot fly quite effectively.

Many gardeners suffer from the attack of the carrot fly, but this pest can be dealt with with the help of wormwood, which has excellent insecticidal properties. First you need to prepare a remedy. It is necessary to collect about a kilogram of wormwood, dry it a little. Plants should be placed in a saucepan, covered with water, brought to a boil and boiled over low heat for about 20 minutes.

The cooked broth is quite concentrated, so it is not suitable for immediately processing carrots. Initially, it must be drained, and then diluted with water. As a result, from 1 kilogram of wormwood, 10 liters of the product are obtained. Before use, 40 grams of laundry soap should be added to the solution, because this component will give it stickiness.

Garlic is known to many gardeners when fighting carrot flies. Many even plant by alternating carrot beds with garlic and onions. These plants release large amounts of phytoncides both into the soil and into the air. It is they who scare away the carrot fly. But you can use garlic without planting it near the carrots.

Many professionals advise using water-based garlic extracts. This infusion will protect the carrot from pest attacks. It is recommended to process it every 5–6 days. The ideal time is mid to late May. The carrot fly does not tolerate the phytoncides that garlic secretes. Of course, the rain will wash away the protection from the plants, so after another rain it is necessary to repeat the treatment. Such procedures should be done during the entire vegetative period of the vegetable.

Let's take a closer look at the recipe for making an infusion of garlic. You will need to take 0.5 kg of garlic bulbs, and you do not need to peel them from the husk, because it is also characterized by toxicity. Place the garlic in a saucepan and pour boiling water over (4 liters will be enough), cover and leave in this form for 24 hours. After the infusion, strain and dilute with water. This amount of infusion will require about 15 liters.

Onions are great for repelling and fighting carrot flies. You can plant onions near the carrot beds. In addition, you can prepare a special remedy with onions and garlic to get rid of the pest infestation. You should take 150 grams of onions and garlic, chop and pour boiling water (2 liters). The solution is infused for 24 hours, and then diluted in 10 liters of water, and at the end 50 grams of soap is added for stickiness.

Tobacco is often used to scare off carrot flies. Mix dry sand and tobacco dust in a 1: 1 ratio, add mustard, wood ash and hot pepper. Sprinkle this mixture over the soil along the carrot beds. For the season, it is enough to sprinkle the aisles 2 or 3 times.

Black pepper is an excellent remedy. You should take ground pepper and mix it with 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, and then dissolve it in 10 liters of water. This product should be poured into the soil and between the carrot beds.

Tomato tops can also be used as an excellent remedy in the fight against carrot flies. Initially, you need to take 4 kg of tops and fill it with water (10 liters is enough). It is necessary to bring to a boil and wait another 30 minutes, then leave the solution to infuse for 5 hours. After that, you can strain the infusion and add 50 grams of soap to it. For 3 liters of this infusion, 10 liters of water will be required and the product is ready to use.

It is better to prevent carrot flies from growing in your garden than to deal with them. Various agronomic methods can help with this. These include the following:

• it is recommended to plant carrots in beds that will be at a great distance from each other, then it will be possible to prevent the charging of the entire crop, it will be enough to fight pointwise;
• it is better to give preference to those varieties that are characterized by resistance to the appearance of these pests;
• carrots should be planted in small, elevated places, but well-lit - usually flies fly around such places without laying eggs there;
• it is recommended to plant beds of onions nearby, because it has a rather unpleasant smell for flies;
• you need to get rid of manure, you should not use it as fertilizer, because flies find it pretty quickly in the beds;
• fly larvae are least active at the end of May, it is during this period that it is recommended to plant carrots;
• in the fall, places after carrots need deep digging - when the larvae get into the open air, they die or birds eat them;
• it is better to plant carrots in those beds where onions, garlic or tomatoes were previously grown;
• before planting, carrot seeds should be treated with special biological products;
• you do not need to fill the beds with carrots, since the high humidity contributes to the appearance of insects.

Other ways to save the crop from carrot flies deserve special attention. It should be understood that this is a rather difficult and painstaking task. Effective methods against carrot flies include the following:

• planting period - pests are usually activated in late spring and until late autumn, until the carrot is harvested; if the first planting is done in the summer, then the first wave of pests can be avoided;
• the right choice of companions - if garlic or onions grow nearby, then the fly will not have a desire to lay eggs near these crops, since they are frightened off by the smell; but it should be borne in mind that this method is not effective in all areas;
• vertical fence - since carrot flies fly only low, high fences will not allow them to enter the fenced area; but the disadvantage is that with strong winds, insects still get inside;
• crop rotation - quite often flies choose a certain area and lay eggs there every year; if you change the territory for planting carrots, then the chances of growing a healthy crop are much increased.

Experts advise paying attention to preventive measures to protect carrot beds from pests.

• It is very important to follow the rules of crop rotation. It is strictly forbidden to plant carrots in the same place as in the previous year.You need to wait about 3-4 years.
• Crops should be watered exclusively at the root. If you water from above, then the smell of the vegetable will spread quite quickly, which will attract pests. It is recommended to wait until the soil is dry. High humidity not only promotes the appearance of flies, but also cracking of root crops.
• If you choose sunny places for planting carrots, then the eggs of the carrot fly will dry out quite quickly.
• Planting carrot seeds should be done sparsely. Flies love dense plantings, because they are quite easy to hide their eggs in. If the carrots are growing quite thickly, thin out the planting. Between two root vegetables should be at least 2 centimeters.

One of the methods of pest control is given below.