22 Carrot Pests [What to Look For This Year]
I’ve found that carrots are more resilient to pests and diseases compared to many other vegetable crops I grow in my suburban garden, but they’re far from immune.
Today I thought it would be beneficial to outline the most common carrot pests that could prevent you from eating all those delicious sweet, juicy carrots this year.
Here we go!
Aphids
Most aphids tend to congregate in groups on the underside of leaves in the carrot foliage, but there are some that group on the roots and in the soil.
Most have a small pear-shaped body but can be seen with the naked eye. Aphids are a real problem because they can spread carrot diseases, cause foliage to brown, and kill your plants.
It’s best to check your garden daily for this pest and intervene as soon as possible.
For very small populations you can clip off foliage and compost it. You might even be able to spray them with a blast from your hose.
Your best bet to control most aphids is to create an environment that attracts predatory insects that feed on them and to deter them through companion planting.
There are many different types of aphids that could cause your carrots grief this year. Some of them are much more harmful than others. These are the most common ones you should look out for.
Bean Aphid
The bean aphid has a dark olive green or black color and can transmit the celery mosaic virus.
Bean aphids occasionally build up on carrot foliage, but it’s not super common.
You can combat them organically by attracting lady beetles, green lacewing larvae, syrphid flies, and parasitic wasps.
If you have a huge population or you don’t want to spend the time attracting beneficial insects, you can also use an insecticidal soap. I’ve tried them in the past and they seem safe to use from what I’ve read. But I do prefer organic and natural remedies whenever possible.
Cotton/Melon Aphid
These aphids range in color from lemon yellow to black and even green. They tend to turn a lighter color during hot temperatures and darken in cooler ones.
This particular type of aphid transmits over 50 viruses, some of which affect carrots.
The good news is that they don’t generally build up in large populations on carrots.
If you notice leaves curling or becoming distorted, this may be a sign of a cotton aphid invasion.
You can control them the same way as all other aphids by attracting predatory insects or using insecticidal soaps.
The best way to prevent these aphids from invading your carrots is to take preventative measures and make sure you plant them as far away from any cotton or melon crops.
Crown and Root Aphids
These are special little guys because, unlike most other aphids, they group on roots or slightly below the ground.
They are pale yellow or a greenish gray with a light dusting of wax.
Because they group in the ground or on your carrot roots, it’s harder to find them. The best sign is if you notice ants forming around the base of your carrots. That’s a strong clue that these aphids are present. Ants don’t eat aphids, but they do have a symbiotic relationship with them and keep many predators away.
The best way I’ve found to deal with these aphids is to use a product called BotaniGard which uses a fungus to control the pests.
Beware because high populations can stunt carrot growth or sever the carrot foliage from the root and because they are almost always accompanied by ants, it’s hard for natural predators to control them.
Green Peach Aphid
These aphids are pale green and sometimes pinkish. They do darken in color during colder weather.
The green peach aphid transmits over 100 diseases. The good news is that it doesn’t vector the carrot motley dwarf virus or the carrot red leaf virus.
If you notice leaves curled or distorted, this may be a sign of this particular type of aphid. High populations can stunt carrot growth so it’s best to take care of them quickly with natural predators or an insecticidal soap.
They have the same natural predators as most other aphid species including green lacewing, ladybugs, and syrphid fly larvae.
Honeysuckle Aphid
These aphids are gray and green with dark antennae, legs, cornicles, and a tail-like structure. Their body is also dusted with a fine white wax and they have a green underside.
They do vector viruses, but it’s not very common for them to injure carrots. Nonetheless, if you notice them on the underside of carrot foliage and leaves, take measures to attract natural predators such as green lacewings, lady beetles, and syrphid fly larvae.
Willow-Carrot Aphid
This is the aphid I’m always most concerned about because it transmits serious carrot diseases like carrot motley virus, carrot red leaf virus, and parsnip yellow fleck.
In addition it also vectors celery mosaic virus, sugarbeet mosaic virus, and cauliflower mosaic virus.
This aphid is pale green, medium-sized, and has an elongated oval-shaped body.
Its natural predators include green lacewing larvae, lady beetles, and syrphid fly larvae.
Beetles
Most beetles eat carrot foliage and don’t pose a huge threat, but some can also damage the taproot.
Here are the most common beetles to watch out for in your carrot garden.
Vegetable Weevil
This beetle has a dull gray or brown color with a v-shaped mark on its wing covers. Adults can be 1/4 inch long so they are noticeable.
They produce a legless larva that is pale green with a dark head and feeds at night on the foliage of carrots and other plants.
Vegetable weevils are native to South America but can be found in the South including California, Oklahoma, and other states.
There are several organic ways to protect against this weevil including row covers and the use of diatomaceous earth (D.E.)
Carrot Weevil
The carrot weevil is a small beetle that is dark colored and white with a yellowish-brown head.
The larvae tunnel into the upper third of the carrot root and can feed for 3 weeks before pupating in the soil.
If you pull a carrot from the ground and see zig-zag dark grooves in the upper sections, you’re likely dealing with this pest.
The best method of control is prevention. Plant a fresh carrot 4 inches deep in the soil during early spring. After 5 days, dig it up and see if there are markings on the carrot.
This is a good way to tell if they are in your soil. If you find carrot weevils, I recommend planting a different plant for the season and adding beneficial nematodes to prevent future infestations.
Southern Potato Wireworm
This pest is also called a click beetle. Larvae are slender and wirelike with three pairs of legs and a pair of anal prolegs. They can be white, cream, or yellowish-gray with red-orange heads.
The wireworm grows to about 3/4” long so you’ll be able to see them.
They’re a problem because they burrow into the taproot and chew holes. This pest can feed for 2 to 6 years and can ruin most root crops.
This beetle and its larvae are found mostly in temperature climates and are much more common in the Southeastern United States.
Adults, or click beetles have a hard shell with a tan to orange-brown body.
This beetle often lays eggs in grassy areas so if your garden is surrounded by grass or you recently removed some of your lawn to make garden space, it may be best to skip growing carrots this year.
Instead, consider growing onions, lettuce, or sunflowers during your first year. These don’t host wireworms.
Practicing good crop rotation and attracting predatory birds can also help control this pest. If you don’t have large populations, you can even hand-pick them and feed them to chickens or birds.
Another way to help control wireworms is to introduce beneficial nematodes to your soil.
Similar to the carrot weevil, you can test your soil by planting a fresh carrot in the ground and leaving it for 5 days.
If you notice small, round holes that look shrunken, there’s a good chance you have wireworms in your soil.
If you’ve already planted carrots and found wireworms, harvest your carrots as soon as possible and cut away any damaged parts. They are safe to eat, but eat them within a few days because carrots with wireworm damage do not store well.
Palestriped Flea Beetle
This small, shiny beetle has enlarged hind legs that let them jump like fleas. They have a broad white stripe down each brown wing.
These beetles feed on the underside of leaves, leaving small pits or irregular-shaped holes behind.
More mature carrots rarely suffer damage from this beetle, but seedlings are in danger of large populations.
The larvae can also feed on carrot roots and have caused serious damage to farm crops in Southern California.
The best way to control flea beetles is to practice good crop rotation, make use of row covers, and remove any weeds or grass nearby where they might lay their eggs.
Caterpillars and Cutworms
Cutworms are a generic term for the caterpillar stage of multiple moth species. These caterpillars are chewing insects that will cut holes in foliage and may even sever it from the root causing your carrot to die.
Cutworms are usually an issue with carrot seedlings because they can chew stems right off the carrot.
If you have grass around your garden beds or weeds, I would clear it out to prevent cutworms from moving into your vegetable garden.
Here are the three most common caterpillars to watch out for when growing carrots.
Armyworms
These guys injure carrot taproots by cutting stems or consuming foliage above the ground.
They range in color from pale green to yellow or even brown. They have a smooth body and grow up to an inch and a half long. Armyworms have three dark stripes that run the length of their body with a green or brown head.
Armyworms often feed at night, so if you suspect them, take a flashlight out into your garden after sunset or early morning to look for them. They are more common in the Eastern United States and Rocky Mountain areas.
These carrot pests typically decimate one carrot at a time and then move on to the next as a group to a new host plant. If you are companion planting, keep in mind that armyworms also damage cabbage, beans, lettuce, onions, peppers, and radishes.
Natural predators of armyworms include predatory wasps, birds, and even rodents (not that you’d want all of those in your carrot bed though).
Another organic solution is to use Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) which can be applied to localized areas in your garden and is quite effective at controlling armyworms. Just keep in mind that it washes away with water so you will have to reapply it if you have overhead sprinklers or if it rains.
Other options include picking the caterpillars by hand and removing them or using Neem Oil Extract to kill them.
Parsleyworm
This caterpillar is yellow-green in color and can grow to be up to nearly 2 inches long. It has transverse black bands and deep yellow or orange spots. The parsleyworm has a head that is greenish-yellow with black stripes.
Similar to the armyworm it too can decimate a carrot plant by feeding on its foliage, including severing it from the root.
Parsleyworms however feed during the day so you’re most likely to spot them in the morning or afternoon.
Gardeners have reported them from the East Coast to the Rockies and even in the Southwest of Arizona and New Mexico.
Parsleyworms love to eat anything in the parsley family, hence their name. They will eat celery, parsley, dill, and parsnips.
Fortunately, they tend to prefer those other plants and do minor damage to carrots.
There’s no need for any intervention besides handpicking them and moving them. These creatures don’t pose a huge threat to carrots.
Yellow Woolly Bear
This furry little guy can appear white, yellow, or even a reddish brown. Its underside has two orange stripes and 3 rows of black dots. Its name is probably because it has dense white hairs covering its body making it look like a woolly bear.
The young larvae feed on the undersides of leaves and are common throughout North America. They will consume carrot leaves and tender stems among other things.
You can hand-pick them and remove them. My kids love to put them in their bug house and feed them trimmings from my garden.
Trichogramma wasps will help control egg populations. It’s also recommended to remove any old boards that you may have lying around as these make great homes for hundreds of woolly bear cocoons.
If you have companion plants with your carrots, this caterpillar will also feed on beets, onions, parsnips, radishes, and other vegetable plants.
To spot these furry guys, you’ll want to look for them at night. That’s when they typically feed and are most active.
Saltmarsh Caterpillar
This caterpillar is hairy and gray when first hatched. It then darkens to a yellowish brown or black with yellow lines.
Adults are covered in reddish-black hairs up to 2 inches long. They look very furry.
They lay eggs in clusters on the underside of leaves. Eggs are very small, sphere-shaped, white, and somewhat flattened.
These furry guys feed on carrot foliage and are often found in areas with cotton fields nearby. They then migrate to your carrots in the fall when the cotton fields are harvested.
Commercial farms will make use of chemical sprays, but organically, the only way I know to protect your garden is by using a row cover.
Tarnished Plant Bug
Sometimes confused as a beetle, but it’s not. This is a true bug, also known as a lygus bug.
It is oval-shaped, and brown, with long legs, long antennae, and a white triangle between the shoulders.
Nymphs (or juvenile bugs) can grow to 1/4 inch long and may be more yellowish-green with black spots on their backs.
These bugs are common in the South and Southwest United States where the climate is warm and drier.
They can disfigure foliage and cause it to become yellow from the excrement they leave behind.
To prevent large populations, remove weeds and any other debris around your garden that can provide an overwintering site for these bugs.
Flies
There are 3 flies that typically cause problems for carrot gardens. Some damage foliage, while the carrot rust fly damages the root itself.
Vegetable Leafminer
This insect is found across the South from Florida to California, and even Hawaii.
High populations can damage foliage, turning it brown and stunting carrot growth.
These insects are harder to see, but you may find their eggs on the underside of leaves. They are often sticky and S-shaped.
If you find an infestation, try using a natural extract such as pyrethrin concentrate which is from the chrysanthemum plant. It will kill any vegetable leafminers in your garden.
Carrot Rust Fly
This insect is more common in temperate areas, especially the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes regions.
They can burrow into carrot roots and ruin them. Larvae are cream-colored maggots found in tunnels in your carrot root.
This pest leaves your carrot with a rusty brown look because the maggots eat the fine root hairs and leave behind brown castings.
Carrot roots are seldom killed by carrot rust flies, but they are often stunted and deformed. Plus the injury to the roots can allow other carrot diseases to enter the root.
Carrot flies are fast and hard to catch. The adults have a slender, metallic green look with yellow legs and head.
Practicing good crop rotation, companion planting, and keeping other parsley crops as far away as possible will limit your problems with this insect.
Prevention is the best strategy. Cover your carrots with a row cover before seedlings emerge to keep adult flies from finding your plants. Don’t leave carrots in the ground over winter either.
If you already have a problem with carrot rust flies, try sticky traps or Monterey Garden Insect Spray.
Whiteflies
These tiny insects are covered in a fine white powdery way and look opaque. They congregate on the underside of leaves where they lay eggs.
They are so small that you need a magnifying glass to see them. One sign that they may be present is if your carrots start. to have a shiny, sticky appearance on the leaves.
Whiteflies often migrate to carrots in late August or September and damage fall seedlings.
Removing weeds and grasses around your garden can help prevent them.
Attract parasitic wasps, big-eyed bugs, lacewings, and lady beetles to act as an organic pest control.
Aster Leafhopper
This little fellow is not a grasshopper, although sometimes it is confused with one. They are yellow-green, have six black spots on the front of their head, and grow to about 3/16 of an inch long.
Nymphs (juvenile leafhoppers) are sometimes light brown instead of yellow-green.
This carrot pest is found everywhere from Mexico to Alaska. They especially favor grasslands, swamps, and prairies.
Aster leafhoppers cause carrot foliage to become yellow or distorted. They also love celery, lettuce, parsnip, parsley, dill, onions, shallots, peppers, and tomatoes.
They are commonly associated with the disease they transmit, aster yellow virus. This virus causes carrots to turn yellow and become stunted.
If you see your plant turn yellow and grow twisted, you may have a leafhopper problem. Both adults and nymphs cause pale spots on top of leaves.
If you water your carrots with a hose or watering can, you’ll see them jump around. Otherwise, they can be hard to spot because they hide in the foliage.
Making use of row covers can help prevent them from entering your carrot garden. If you already have an infestation, use pyrethrin concentrate.
Root-Knot Nematodes
There are good nematodes and then there are bad ones. These are the bad ones when it comes to carrots.
Root-knot nematodes can cause carrots to fork and stunt the root development.
If you pull a carrot and notice round galls on the roots (ball-looking things), it’s most likely this nematode causing it. The only way to know for sure is to have your soil tested, but this is almost a sure sign in my opinion.
Also, note that you should not compost carrots with nematodes. You can spread them into other areas.
Nematodes are microscopic roundworms so you can’t see them with the naked eye. They feed on carrots by puncturing the cell walls and sucking cell contents with their needlelike mouth.
If the temperature is warm outside, you may see infected plants wilt more frequently.
If you believe this nematode is in your soil, try using a biodegradable, natural nematode treatment.
Because female nematodes lay eggs just outside or beneath the carrot root and overwinter eggs, it’s highly recommended to solarize your soil. You can do this by covering your garden with plastic, allowing the sun to heat it up and kill everything in it.
Just know that if you do solarize your soil, it will kill all the good stuff in your soil too.
Mice and Voles
Mice and rats are opportunistic animals and will eat almost anything when food is scarce. Carrots are on the menu, especially in the winter.
In mild winters, rodent populations can soar and a well-mulched carrot bed is the perfect spot for them to settle into.
If the crowns of carrots appear to be eaten around the top of the root, it’s most likely mice or voles.
If part of the carrot is left in the hole and it looks slimy, you’re probably dealing with some type of carrot disease.
While voles don’t tunnel, they will use mole tunnels to get under the ground and attack your carrots. If you notice the surface of the ground cracking from mole tunnels, try to locate the entrance and set a trap.
You can also companion plant daffodils around the perimeter of your garden. These are toxic to most animals and will deter them.
I’ve also used bird spikes around my raised garden beds which have proven effective.
How to Eliminate Carrot Pests Naturally
While sometimes using a spray or natural powder makes the most sense, you may wish to first try natural pest control methods.
Here are steps you can take to deter and eliminate carrot pests naturally.
Companion Plant
Try to avoid planting parsley plants and their relatives in near proximity to each other. Biodiversity will help minimize problems with many pests.
For a complete list of carrot companion plants, read my article that lists 21 carrot companion plants and what they help deter.
Some plants do a better job than others at deterring pests with scents, some act as a smokescreen that confuses pests, and some attract beneficial insects that prey on pests.
I’ve been companion planting for years and it has drastically reduced the number of issues I have in my garden.
Row Covers
This isn’t my favorite method of control because it does block sunlight and this can stunt carrot development. Carrots that grow in the shade are often shorter than those with full sun.
However, given the option of shorter carrots or no carrots when you have a pest problem, I’d choose the row covers.
Hand Pick
Some pests, such as caterpillars can simply be rehomed in small populations. If you find a few pests such as these, pick them up and move them somewhere else where they can feed on other plants, not in your garden.
Or if you have chickens, they make great chicken food I am told.
Scout Daily
One of the best things you can do to ensure a good carrot harvest is to scout your garden frequently for pests and intervene early. I scout my garden daily and I try to mix up the times I do it.
Every now and then I’ll even go out at night with a flashlight to inspect my garden for those pests that only come out in the dark.
Clear Debris
Keep the area around your garden free of wood and other things where many pests will lay eggs.
Many pests also lay eggs in grassy areas, so plan your garden in a place that is not near your lawn. If you replace part of a lawn for your garden, don’t grow carrots in that spot during the first year.
