Onion fly
Anomander
Posts: 88
This is about problem prevention. I have never grown onions before and I have prepared a small bed for them. I am about to plant some sets but with all I have to worry about whether or not they will bolt, the major issue is preventing onion fly.
I saw the following link on another thread, which seems to have some really good ideas: http://www.weekendgardener.net/garden-pests/onion-maggots-080908.htm
I plan to make a floating row cover out of fleece and four bottle-capped bamboo poles to block the fly form entering to lay her cursed eggs.
QUESTIONS:
1. Has anyone had experience growing onions that they can share?
2. How effective would a floating row cover be? I imagine it would be pretty effective because it's a physical barrier but I don't know if the flies would lay outside the bed and the maggots burrow to the onions?
3. Being paranoid, I'm thinking of also using yellow sticky traps around the bed but will they not harm beneficial insects, such as hoverflies and bees?
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