[wilko10]

I planted out some pot grown courgettes -three varieties- at the start of the month all were growing fine.

This last 2 weeks the lower leaves have turned yellow and the plants have started to wilt. I pulled a very sorry looking plant this morning and found 20-30 small white larvae maggot looking things within the roots which were all brown and eaten. The larvae are about 6-7 mm long and quite thin. There is no damage above ground level.

Anyone any ideas what they may be so I can hopefully treat the remaining plants in the hope they aren't already infected?

Nic

[BenefitofHindsight]

Do they look anything like this:
http://entomology.unl.edu/images/storedfoods/sfflies/fungnat_larv1.jpg

or this?
http://www.crocus.co.uk/pestsanddiseases/_/pests-and-diseases/sudden-death/vine-weevils/articleid.1166/

[wilko10]

Thanks for the reply, they look very much like these ones

http://entomology.unl.edu/images/storedfoods/sfflies/fungnat_larv1.jpg


Possibly Fungus Gnats Larvae, I'd never even heard of those, do you know of an effective control of the larvae?

[Yorkie]

My recollection of fungus gnats is that they prefer moist compost.  It may be that the compost in the pots was too moist for too long, and the larvae were simply transferred to the soil upon planting out?