Delia radicum
lucre maggot are lowly insects that can have a huge impact on cole crop , such ascabbage , Brassica oleracea italica , turnips , rutabaga , radishes , cauliflower , andbrussels sprouts .
The larvae live in the ground , feed on the fibrous roots , andthen burrow into the root and stems .
These louse can wholly destroy a crop .
An adult cabbage fly (D. radicum), aka cabbage root fly, root fly, or turnip fly.
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Read on to larn how to supervise and control this garden menace .
What You’ll Learn
Identification, Biology, and Distribution
Cabbage maggots are usually plant in the northern zones of the US , since cole crop are cool - season vegetables . However , they can also be found in warmer climates , such as the coastal regions of California .
Cabbage maggots are the larvae ofDelia radicum , or the cabbage rainfly , which is also be intimate as the cabbage beginning fly sheet , root fly , or turnip fly . These are often mistaken for housefly , although they are about half the size of it .
The whitened eggs are about 1/8 inch long and shaped like torpedo . They are often laid in row near the main stem of cruciferous vegetable .
An adult cabbage fly (D. radicum), aka cabbage root fly, root fly, or turnip fly.
The bollock are most likely to outlive in cool , moist dirt . If temperatures transcend 95 ° F in the top 2 - 3 inch of the soil , this will kill the egg .
The maggot are about 1/3 column inch long , white with no leg . They are point at one destruction .
Life Cycle
These pestilence winter as chocolate-brown pupae in the soil near the radical of fall crop .
The flies emerge from the territory in early spring in the Second Earl of Guilford , and in the fall and spring in areas with fond climates , such as California . They can travel as far as a mile to find host plants !
The adults will feed on pollen and ambrosia for 10 days or so , and then they lay their eggs at the base of the plants . The larvae will hatch in about a week .
After concoct , the larvae tunnel through the soil to the antecedent system , starting with the fibrous roots . They can completely demolish root systems .
Older larvae may tunnel into the fore of industrial plant as well .
The larvae pupate in the burrows they leave while digesting the the ancestor fabric , and then emerge in 2 - 3 weeks to start the cycle over again .
Damage
alas , sincecabbagesandother cole cropsare cool - weather vegetables that demand to be grown betimes in the time of year to avoid the heat of the summertime , this leaves them vulnerable to spring visits from these pests .
Cole harvest that are planted in the winter or spring typically suffer more terms than those planted in the summer or fall .
Since loot maggot are so little and live in the soil , you may not even realize you have them until your plants embark on wilt . Infested plant life are peculiarly likely to wilt on sunny days .
Turnipsandradishesare exception , and these do not wilt . This make it more difficult to identify infestations in these crops .
slimly juicy or yellow foliage is another sign of plague .
The larvae will be visible on the source when you pull up the plants , although by that clock time , it is usually too late to save them . The infested plants will wilt , tumble , and die .
Even if radish , white turnip , andrutabaga plantssurvive , wide terms from the feeding tunnels will depict these crops uneatable or unmarketable . And ancestor equipment casualty leaves stressed works more susceptible to fungous disease , and other job .
Monitoring
It is crucial to be aware of when the bounce trajectory occurs to have a chance of saving your plants . This is the time period when female vanish closely to the basis , deposit their eggs .
Surprisingly , a weed can aid you pinpoint this occurrence . reminder when wintercress ( aka yellow rocket , Barbarea vulgaris ) is blooming , if it grows in your domain . This is often an denotation that the fly ball are on the march . Er , fly .
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Look for the eggs along the stems , or in and on the stain near the stems of young plants . If you are get in a wide country , see to it groups of 2 - 5 plants in unlike orbit of your garden for signs of these worm .
If you regain even one egg per stem that you learn , the telephone number in their total local population can explode exponentially from that item , and it is likely that your plants will suffer significant damage .
You may chance more eggs in surfactant parts of your garden , so keep an eye out .
Cultural Controls
you’re able to use ethnic methods to minimize the chances of plague .
Be Careful Where You Plant
plant your cabbagesin country that were not planted with surrender cole craw previously will help to keep down populations of these maggots . The greater the distance from previous cole crop planting sites , the good .
Also avoid implant in expanse that recently held crumble constituent subject . model of this include orbit inwhich a cover cropor beast matter was plowed under .
Use Floating Row Covers
swim dustup coverscan help protect against these insects . As soon as you plant your seed or organ transplant , install a row covert , and cover the edges with soil .
Do not use run-in covering fire in areas where cole crops were grown the previous year , or you could finish up with an plague under the row cover !
you could remove the binding once the soil warm up , and the works have become prominent .
Pile Soil Around Stems
Another thing you could do to aid your plants refuse succumb to an infestation is to wreak soil up around the stems .
This will promote the plants to rise adventitious roots , which can help cabbage and other crops compensate for any ancestor loss .
Till Crop Residue Under
These insects can hold up for quite a while in craw residue .
After you have harvested your autumn harvest , till the rest under . This will lend the pupa to the Earth’s surface , where they will pall .
Organic Chemical Treatment
An constitutive plant - based treatment known as Ecotrol G is an selection for organic chemical substance handling .
According to R. Hazzard of theUMass Amherst Center for Agriculture , Food , and the Environment , this coarse-grained Cartesian product is composed of plant oils that may repel these worm .
Ecotrol G is certify for organic production by the USDA .
Biological Controls
There are several options for the biologic control of these pests :
Beneficial Nematodes
software program of the beneficial soil nematodeSteinernema feltiaehave been shown to work against this pest in trials .
You should use the infective adolescent nematode to the transplants in water . you could spray it on , or give it as a drench before or after transplantation .
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If the adults begin fly less than a hebdomad after transplanting , you will need to treat the plants after transpose them . Use a concentration of 100,000 to 125,000 of the juveniles per transplant .
And make certain to keep the soil moist , so the nematode worm will survive .
Read more about using good nematodes here .
Natural Enemies
beetle that live in the soil can obliterate large numbers of the eggs , larvae , and pupae . The beetle speciesAleochara bilineataparasitizes the larvae by laying its eggs on the aerofoil of worms .
If you swear on these beetles , you should not treat the soil with insecticide .
Predatory mites and bloodsucking wasp are additional enemies that will feed on the maggots .
If you are lucky , the maggots may be aggress by a fungus that occurs course . This is more likely to befall when the flies are abundant , and in high-pitched comparative humidness . Of course , then you will have to deal with fungal disease on your plants .
Chemical Pesticide Controls
Insecticides can be used to control these maggots under some circumstances , but they will not always be effective .
Also , keep in idea that you will not need to use them if surface soil temperatures are above 95 ° farad for several days in a run-in , since such temperatures will kill these worm .
Options for chemical substance control include diazinon and cyantranilprole .
Focus on the seed furrows , or the base of plant if you are address transplants . Be sure to follow package instructions , and follow the coating with a lot of water , to help the insecticide penetrate into the soil .
If the louse are well found , insecticide sprays will not control them effectively .
There is no point in utilise insecticides if there are tunnel in the roots , but no maggots . This show that the maggots have moved on to pupate , and this eccentric of insecticide practical program will be uneffective .
Monitor and Take Action!
Cabbage maggots can have annihilating essence on cole crop .
These insect are so tiny that they are easy to miss – until it is too later for your crop .
supervise your industrial plant cautiously can alert you to their mien when population are still low enough to give you a chance of assure them .
Control option ambit from good nematode worm to insecticides .
And read on formore information on cabbage pests , such as :
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About
Helga George , Ph.D.
