July 2022
How do I get rid of white fly on my carrots?
There are several things you can do to help to control white fly using IPM (integrated pest management), a non-chemical approach to managing pests. Prevention and early intervention are best. Making sure the plant is as healthy as possible is important as a stressed plant is much more susceptible to pests and diseases.
Plant carrot seedlings sparsely so you can avoid thinning the seedling. This is important because when thinning, a smell is released that is attractive to the female fly.
Use an insect proof cover, like the floating row cover, to protect the plants and act as a barrier to any pests.
White flies are very small and don’t fly very high so planting in a raised bed might be beneficial.
Crop rotation improves soil quality, thereby lessening the chances that pests and diseases will take hold.
Pick a heartier variety of carrot that is resistant to the white fly. Check the package or plant id tag.
Time sowing to miss the first generation of the fly (early spring) and harvest before late August to avoid the second generation.
Use companion planting around your carrots by planting a strongly scented plant such as onions, chives, sage or rosemary nearby to deter white fly which are drawn to the smell of the carrot. Likewise, you can make a garlic spray and mist your plants with this to disguise their smell.
Introduce beneficial parasites such as parasitic wasps, lacewing larvae, ladybugs, and big-eyed bugs as well as nematodes which control the white fly by eating them.
Keep the area weed free, especially from bindweed which acts as a host for white fly.
Sources:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r102300811.html
https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/carrot-fly
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/8-integrated-pest-management-ipm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/carrot/carrot-companions.htm
https://www.timescolonist.com/homes/helen-chesnuts-garden-notes-to-stave-off-carrot-fly-keep-crop-covered-4690369
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