It is prevalent in older gardens, here.
I tried sprinkling Epsom Salts in the row this year
before I sowed the carrot seed.
I did not have any of the Carrot Rust Fly worms.

Where did you hear to try that, Xaroline?

IâÂÂm on a definite learning curve here! I never heard of carrot rust fly before, so IâÂÂve been researching it! I found lots of GREAT uses for epsom salt (tomato blossom end rot!), but didnâÂÂt find anything about using it the way you did. Did you read that, or hear it somewhere, or just decide to try it? Because of limited space, I have no choice but to use the same places each year for the things I grow, so now IâÂÂm wondering if the CRFâÂÂs might show up for me some day too!

ProvoGirl, I donâÂÂt have ANY idea if it works, but I did find the use of âÂÂpulverized wormwoodâ or âÂÂrock phosphateâ recommended as a deterrent for CRF! Other sites recommend planting in early summer rather than spring since the âÂÂfirst waveâ of egg laying flies are gone by then. And the pupae live in the ground over winter, so if that is for sure what you have, row covers might not work next year---if the pupae hatch into flies which lay their eggs UNDER the covers! They suggest not storing the carrots in the ground over winter---which IâÂÂve done in the past, as the larvae can also survive in the carrots in the ground over winter! Most of the suggestions I saw recommended digging them by September.

I donâÂÂt think thereâÂÂs much of anything you can do this year anymore. I recommend digging up the rest of them to see what they look like, and storing them in tubs in dry sand (in a cold place) if you have a lot, or just in the fridge if there arenâÂÂt too many of them.

IâÂÂm glad to at least know this critter exists so IâÂÂll âÂÂhave a clueâ if it should happen to show up in my garden. And I am gonna be using epsom salt in my garden next year---probably everywhere, because of all the good things I found out about it when I was researching! Will for SURE use it on my tomatoes and my one or two pepper plants, and, since itâÂÂs supposed to aid germination, may use it with the carrots too. Heck! IâÂÂm probably just gonna use it on EVERYTHING! ItâÂÂs cheap! ItâÂÂll be interesting to see what it does!

Skybird

P.S. DonâÂÂt have time to live link it, but hereâÂÂs another site with some good info: http://www.plantprotection.hu/modulok/angol/root_veg/carrotflay_root.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Carrot Rust Fly - Organic Garden

Thanks ladies for the great info. I just planted 7 five foot rows of carrots about 5 weeks ago. I found them when I was "thinning" them out. I have a "brand new" raised bed and a newer garden. I wonder if they had overwintered in the compost I purchased for the raised bed. I will give the epsom salts a try since as Skybird's says "It's cheap!".