Like tiny pieces of bright blue sky dropped into your garden, forget-me-nots are one of the few true-blue flowers available to gardeners.These plants are steeped in history and symbolism, and are eas
12.06.2023 - 00:55 / gardenerspath.com / Sylvia Dekker
How to Identify and Control Carrot PestsA certain carrot-chomping cartoon character, and many children’s books, may have you convinced that rabbits are your carrot patch’s greatest enemy.
If only it were that simple.
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Unfortunately, there are a variety of other pests out there that love these colorful root vegetables, with insects being an obvious category.
Luckily, we’ve got everything you need to know about what pests might attack your carrots, including how you can deal with them!
Here’s what we’ll cover:
1. AphidsAre there any plants aphids don’t attack? There are a variety of aphid species that will suck on carrots, including melon aphids, willow carrot aphids, and green peach aphids.
They’re obvious bulbous insects found on the fine foliage, plus their feeding causes leaf curl, and sooty mold grows on the honeydew they excrete. Yuck!
Ladybugs and lacewings are your friends when it comes to aphids, because these two beauties love to chow down on the suckers.
Bonide Insecticidal Soap
Insecticidal soaps – such as Bonide Insecticidal soap, available at Arbico Organics – can be effective against aphids, and if applied correctly, are generally safe for the beneficials that may visit to feast.
2. Carrot Rust FliesPsila rosae are four- to five-millimeter-long, dark colored, yellow-legged flies that lay eggs in the soil near carrots and other members of the Umbelliferae family.
When they hatch, the larvae are small, one-centimeter-long maggots that feed on the root hairs and rootlets, entering the root itself after their third molt.
They leave surface scars mainly on the bottom two-thirds of the roots. Once mature, they
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