When are carrot flies most active ?

[Happymouse]

I have some carrots under fleece but now I am scared to lift it to see how they are getting on. I'm sure the dreaded carrot flies are just waiting to zoom in for the kill. Is there a time of day it would be O.K. to lift the fleece ?

[jane E]

Why don't you use environmesh and encircle it to a height of 2foot. Then you could see over the top. They are supposed to be low flying. I've never tested that though.

[sandersj89]

I fleece mine over from day one, it stays in place until harvest.

But I do lift it from time to time to weed and thin. I always do this in the evening as it is meant to pose less of a risk.

So far so good, the last 4 years I have hardly seen any damage.

HTH

Jerry

[Tigger]

Yep - I have a frame that fits over the raised bed which I cover in fleece each year - looks a bit like a table with a white cloth on it from the distance. It's put on as soon as the carrots go in and comes off only for weeding and harvesting. I've never had (or at least the carrots haven't had) carrot fly since using this method.

[Compo]

The advice is great but does anyone know when the carrot fly is most active, now? later in the season??

[hilary]

Hi,
I always worry once the cow parsley is in flower (ie now!) but there can be several generations of fly each year. To avoid the worst of the attacks sow in early spring and then early summer to miss the first generation of flies hatched in spring.
Hope this helps
Hilary

[Happymouse]

I came home from work today to find the fleece has blown off my all my carrots ! Oh well - thats life ! I can almost hear my dear Dad saying "That's nature telling you not to take gardening too seriously love"

[Garlic_Guy]

Thanks to everyone for their advice.

I'm trying carrots again this year for the first time in a long while.

I was able to take advantage of the howling gales of the last few days to do my thinning - hopefully without the Fly picking up the scent quite so easily.