What pests attack carrot?

Carrot fly, Leaf Miner, Wireworms

What diseases affect carrot?

Bacterial soft rot, Downy Mildew, White mould (Sclerotinia), Common scab

Carrot pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which carrot problems need quick action?

Carrot fly: Rusty-brown scars and tunnels ringing the tap roots, making them inedible. Bacterial soft rot: Whole roots, tubers, bulbs, heads or fruit can collapse within a few days, often leaving only the skin — in the garden and in storage. Downy Mildew: Badly affected leaves shrivel and turn brown or yellow and fall early; plants become stunted and some may die. White mould (Sclerotinia): Later, hard black seed-like bodies (sclerotia) 0.5–1 cm across in the mould and inside hollow stems.

Daucus carota

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for carrot in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	7
Pests	3
Diseases	4
Need quick action	4

How to grow carrot · All pests and diseases

Pests

Carrot flyRusty-brown scars and tunnels ringing the tap roots, making them inedible.Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf MinerHeavily mined leaves dry up or drop early; badly affected tomato plants can lose most of their leaves.Photo: Flowersabc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
WirewormsSeeds fail to come up and rows are patchy; seedlings have small holes in the stems and may die.Photo: Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Which carrot problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Carrot fly: Usually nothing shows above ground — the damage is found at harvest.
Bacterial soft rot: Potato stems may turn black and rot from the base upwards (blackleg).
Downy Mildew: Pale green, yellow, purple or brown blotches on the upper side of leaves, often angular where they are bordered by the veins.
White mould (Sclerotinia): Roots, heads, pods and fruit can rot too, also in storage.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.