Worms in my carrots!
lisa_...@hc-sc.gc.ca
of the carrots I harvested have a few 'tunnels'. Yesterday while cleaning up
some carrots I noticed a little white worm coming out of one of the tunnels,
yecch! Most of these carrots have been going to the horses, but some have
been consumed by us humans. In either case I always cleaned/scraped the
carrots throughly and cut away any damaged parts but I am wondering if I
should be using these carrots at all.
Does anyone have any idea what these may be and can anyone offer any advice
on how to control them next year. By the way, this is a new garden that has
never been gardened before and the soil is heavy clay that I started to amend
with topsoil, sand and composted sheep manure.
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Lisa Cahill
I have only seen them in books and don't know how to treat them. At least
you have the name of a pest you can look up somewhere.
lisa_...@hc-sc.gc.ca wrote in message
<75lqks$8p3$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
Frank Miles
>This is the first year that I am growing carrots and I have noticed that some
>of the carrots I harvested have a few 'tunnels'. Yesterday while cleaning up
>some carrots I noticed a little white worm coming out of one of the tunnels,
>yecch! Most of these carrots have been going to the horses, but some have
>been consumed by us humans. In either case I always cleaned/scraped the
>carrots throughly and cut away any damaged parts but I am wondering if I
>should be using these carrots at all.
>
>Does anyone have any idea what these may be and can anyone offer any advice
>on how to control them next year. By the way, this is a new garden that has
>never been gardened before and the soil is heavy clay that I started to amend
>with topsoil, sand and composted sheep manure.
The usual solution (at least for OG types) is to use a 'floating-row cover':
a light spun polymer cloth that keeps the adult flys from depositing
its eggs near your carrots. Works well, so long as you can keep 2-
and 4-legged animals from ripping the thin stuff to shreds. It is sold
in many gardening catalogs.
-frank
Gary Cooper
On Mon, 21 Dec 1998, Lisa Cahill wrote:
> There is a pest called 'carrot maggots' which sounds like a likely culprit.
> I have only seen them in books and don't know how to treat them. At least
> you have the name of a pest you can look up somewhere.
>
>
If carrot maggots is what you have, it may comfort you some to know they
can't actually harm you, even if you acidentally eat a few. They just look
ugly and cut down on your carrot harvest.
I don't know whether they might bother horses, but I suspect not.
Gary
> lisa_...@hc-sc.gc.ca wrote in message
> <75lqks$8p3$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
> >This is the first year that I am growing carrots and I have noticed that
> some
> >of the carrots I harvested have a few 'tunnels'. Yesterday while cleaning
> up
> >some carrots I noticed a little white worm coming out of one of the
> tunnels,
> >yecch! Most of these carrots have been going to the horses, but some have
> >been consumed by us humans. In either case I always cleaned/scraped the
> >carrots throughly and cut away any damaged parts but I am wondering if I
> >should be using these carrots at all.
> >
> >Does anyone have any idea what these may be and can anyone offer any advice
> >on how to control them next year. By the way, this is a new garden that
> has
> >never been gardened before and the soil is heavy clay that I started to
> amend
> >with topsoil, sand and composted sheep manure.
> >
Pat Kiewicz
>
>Does anyone have any idea what these may be and can anyone offer any advice
>on how to control them next year. By the way, this is a new garden that has
>never been gardened before and the soil is heavy clay that I started to amend
>with topsoil, sand and composted sheep manure.
Could be the carrot fly maggot. Some tips:
Plant late to avoid egglaying time (June or early July).
Apply beneficial nematodes.
Plant a fly-resitant variety. 'Fly Away' is available from Thompson and
Morgan (and I believe some others) and is a not only quite resistant to
the carrot fly, it also a fine tasting carrot and quite tender.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI
NOTICE!! To hit my personal mailbox, please put the letter 'p' in front of
the 'kiewicz' when replying by e-mail.
Frank Miles
Pat Kiewicz <kie...@mw.mediaone.net> wrote:
>In article <75lqks$8p3$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, lisa_...@hc-sc.gc.ca says...
>
>>Does anyone have any idea what these may be and can anyone offer any advice
>>on how to control them next year. By the way, this is a new garden that has
>>never been gardened before and the soil is heavy clay that I started to amend
>>with topsoil, sand and composted sheep manure.
>
>Could be the carrot fly maggot. Some tips:
>
>Plant late to avoid egglaying time (June or early July).
This depends on where you live, of course. In my area, the season
for these pests starts earlier, and runs longer {experimentally verified :( }
-frank
Prof. Zooks
>
> This is the first year that I am growing carrots and I have noticed that some
> of the carrots I harvested have a few 'tunnels'. Yesterday while cleaning up
> some carrots I noticed a little white worm coming out of one of the tunnels,
> yecch! Most of these carrots have been going to the horses, but some have
> been consumed by us humans. In either case I always cleaned/scraped the
> carrots throughly and cut away any damaged parts but I am wondering if I
> should be using these carrots at all.
>
> on how to control them next year. By the way, this is a new garden that has
> never been gardened before and the soil is heavy clay that I started to amend
> with topsoil, sand and composted sheep manure.
>
> http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
With the exception of turnips, I've had great success treating the soil
with woodashes before planting. Guess turnips must be extra special to
maggots if they're willing to put up with the ashes there but no place
else...
Regards,
Prof. Zooks
Gary Cooper
On Sat, 26 Dec 1998, Prof. Zooks wrote:
> ...
> With the exception of turnips, I've had great success treating the soil
> with woodashes before planting. Guess turnips must be extra special to
> maggots if they're willing to put up with the ashes there but no place
> else...
>
> Regards,
> Prof. Zooks
>
I don't know why, but turnips seem to have a powerful attraction for root
maggots and several kinds of worms (people seem to be much more able to
resist the turnips' charms).
For a literary treatment of this subject, see Erskine Caldwell's "Tobacco
Road."
Gary
Alf Christophersen
>If carrot maggots is what you have, it may comfort you some to know they
>can't actually harm you, even if you acidentally eat a few. They just look
>ugly and cut down on your carrot harvest.
>I don't know whether they might bother horses, but I suspect not.
The only toxic is the chemicals used to fight them. It is better to eat
a worm or two (or 100) than a carrot toxified to keep them nice and
pretty. Most of the carrots in the shops is more or less toxified to
hinder such "beasties" to vegetate on your carrots.
The maggots is in reality a healthy sign. Carrots with maggots are safe
to eat.
Lucy Goodman-Owsley
right after you sow the seed. The tiny maggot flies cannot get in to lay eggs and
you will have far less maggots and no chemical use. Be sure to rotate them to
another part of the garden too.
