June 28/09
On Friday, we had “hot dog night” with family. After our meal, my brother, as usual, made his rounds checking out my gardens.
My onions have had some yellowing of leaves and I asked him to check them out. (For the yellowing of leaves he said, “sulfur”. And then he said, “Debbie has onion maggots”. Well everyone around the fire said, “onion maggots?”
My Mom, aunt and uncle were farmers all their lives and this pest was new to them. Of course, we never grew onions as a crop so perhaps that is why it was an unknown.
I went and checked the onions to see what he was talking about and he pointed out the dozens of wee little tiny flies on the tops of the leaves. “Onion maggots”. I was confused until he found one that was attached to a leaf and then leave their next generation (what would be the maggots) inside the leaves. These, then, crawl down into the onion.
Because I had company I didn’t take any action against them, that night. In the morning, however, I mixed up a spray of soap and water and sprayed the leaves. I’ve checked, since, and haven’t seen any flies, but I’m afraid that the damage has already been done. My crop of onions is, well… probably ruined.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
6 comments so far
GrandmaT
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5305 posts in 1026 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 432 days ago
Geez what a year for you … I feel so bad … but at least if/when you plant them again you will be prepared. Hard way to learn though …
-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5
Bob
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1427 posts in 896 days
hardiness zone 3b
posted 432 days ago
That’s a tough one Deb.
They are difficult to get rid of once in the soil as well.
Bob
-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth
Iris43
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2184 posts in 778 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 432 days ago
That’s terrible, MaDeb. I have always grown onions, even if I didn’t have anything else, and I have never heard of them. That’s tough. :-(
-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'
MsDebbieP
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8102 posts in 1148 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 432 days ago
that info sheet says that one strategy to get rid of them (well, work towards getting rid of them) is to make sure that ALL the onions are out of the ground when you harvest them.
So I’ll be giving that garden bed a really good raking this fall to ensure that every little bulb has been removed. Other than that, well, I guess I’ll have to talk to my brother. I might have to resort to heavy duty chemicals if that is what it takes.
I can’t afford to be re-infested next year.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Bon
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5154 posts in 928 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 432 days ago
Isn’t it still early enough to replant them this year?What a bummer.
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
Bob
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1427 posts in 896 days
hardiness zone 3b
posted 432 days ago
We used to use Diazinon crystals . I don’t know what is left now that could have any impact on your soil borne larvae.
I use marigolds a lot in my vegetable plot.
I also recommend remay cloth to prevent flying insecs from getting on my plants to lay eggs.
It’s not a pretty sight but then neither are the maggots.
Bob
-- I want to believe in a lot of things but, in the meantime I have to deal with the truth