Root Maggot
(click image to enlarge) Symptoms:
• Larvae scrape the root surface during feeding, creating dark, scarred lesions
• Lesions can be surrounded by pinkish margins
• Plants can wilt under severe pressure
Epidemiology:
• Maggots overwinter as larvae
• Adult flies emerge in mid to late-spring
• Females deposit up to 200 eggs at the base of beets
• Larvae hatch within 2-3 days and feed on roots
Description:
• Adult maggot flies are shiny, black and about 8 mm long
• Wings are transparent with smoky brown patch
Control:
• Early planting to allow for larger plants
• At-planting or post-emergence granular insecticide applications
• Monitoring in combination with foliar insecticides