[vineweevil1]

I am growing some carrots in pots on the patio (well in g'house at the mo) and wondered if I was likely to be affected by the fly at home and so should put some netting up etc (obviously later in the year, not now)

[Sharonx]

My Brother grew carrots at home last year for the first time and they were lovely. Not touched by carrot fly at all. Suppose there is no guarentee though, so probably best to cover anyway just in case. Would be a shame to go to all that effort and then lose them for the sake of a bit of covering.

[GrannieAnnie]

Definitely cover!  The carrot fly and any other pest will not care where you grow your carrots!!!  How tall is the pot?  they say they don't fly over 2ft high, so when I grow in a container, I don't cover the whole pot over, because I like to see stuff growing, I just put some short canes in the pot, and tie the fleece around it, making sure the total height is over 2ft high.

[senrab_nhoj]

they can definitely fly higher than 2', what they arent good at is manoeuvering whilst airborn so once over a barrier they have difficulty in descending the other side...

... that way if you have a 2' barrier around your carrots and the width of the surrounded area is about the same you should be protected....

[corynsboy]

Oh always protect if you can.  I made that mistake last year thinking that if I planted in June & July it would be fine.  I was wrong. Really very wrong!

I'm interested in this 24 inches issue we have with carrot flies.  I planted some Chanteney carrots in open half barrels last year.  These barrels are easily 3 feet off the ground and sure enough not a peep out of Mr Carrot Fly.  Great!

http://growingyourownveg.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-orange-and-sounds-like-parrrot.html

Surely a carrot fly (I have to confess I've never seen one) must get windblown more than 24 inches in the air.  What is it about the magic barrier?  Can he not smell carrots over this height?  Can he not recognise carrots over this height?

[senrab_nhoj]

Oh always protect if you can.  I made that mistake last year thinking that if I planted in June & July it would be fine.  I was wrong. Really very wrong!

I'm interested in this 24 inches issue we have with carrot flies.  I planted some Chanteney carrots in open half barrels last year.  These barrels are easily 3 feet off the ground and sure enough not a peep out of Mr Carrot Fly.  Great!

http://growingyourownveg.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-orange-and-sounds-like-parrrot.html

Surely a carrot fly (I have to confess I've never seen one) must get windblown more than 24 inches in the air.  What is it about the magic barrier?  Can he not smell carrots over this height?  Can he not recognise carrots over this height?

 see my comments about their airborne manoeuvreablity (sp)

[vineweevil1]

Thanks guys, these are just in 12" pots at the mo (parmex?) so I will put some sticks in later, can I wait until say May to put the barrier round or do carrot fies start earlier?