[Starling]

Being a newbie I read every book going, so my carrots were planted raised up beacause of clay and stony soil.  I used John's carrot mix to fill the book case I was using to grow them in.  I covered everything in enviromesh and only thinned out when it was nearly dark. So why do my carrots have holes in them? 

[flitwickone]

carrot fly big time   

dont worry a expert will be along soon

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm no expert, but it looks more like slug damage to me!  or very small rabbits!  

[JayG]

Not sure; reddened foliage is often one of the tell-tale signs of carrot-fly infestation but your pic doesn't show enough of the leaves to see if that's the case or not.

Have you pulled one out? The tiny off-white maggots crawling through what's left of the carrots are unmistakeable. 

[Aunt Sally]

Mice ate all the top third of my carrots last year 

[Starling]

carrot fly big time  

That's all I could find in Dr Hessayon, carrrot fly or swift moth but some of the holes are almost 1/2 inch across. and when I finally manage to pull them up(not easy when the leaves come away as soon as you touch them) the rest of the carrot is fine.

I'm no expert, but it looks more like slug damage to me!  or very small rabbits!  

They would have to be very small rabbits to get through the enviromesh GrannieAnnie

JayG the foliage is a bit brown but I think that is due to lack of watering as the soil is quite dry.  I couldn't see any maggots, and when I finally manage to pull them up(not easy when the leaves come away as soon as you touch them) the rest of the carrot is fine.

I think GrannieAnnie may be right (the slugs not the rabbits ), may have to try coppertape as my froggy friends can't get through the mesh either.

[GrannieAnnie]

 

[Starling]

There was me just worried about carrot root fly - now you tell me the whole world is waiting to steal my carrots
I feel like going and sitting down on the plot in a rocking chair with a torch and a shotgun, let any mice, or bunnies, or slug or flying things attack my lovely veg then  

[DD.]

Definately not carrot fly, they don't eat that much!

I've had the same damage under well pegged down enviromesh. There are no teeth marks and the damage is apparant as deep, well rounded holes.

Has to be slugs.

[8doubles]

There  is a carrot weevil that attacked my container grown carrots last year but you would see evidence of those.
Mice or slugs is most likely.

[Comfortably Numb]

Looks like damage from those little black slugs that spend most of their time underground 

Still, at least the rest of the carrot is OK