Organically Controlling the Carrot Weevil

To organically control this garden pest use row covers during all seasons and rotate your crops as well as opt for fall cultivation. You will also want to encourage several bird types to hang out in your garden and home area. These will include chickadees, bluebirds, juncos, and warblers.

What the Carrot Weevil Looks Like

When you see small and pale legless worms tunneling into the roots of your celery hearts, you've got carrot weevil. Carrot weevil does affect your carrots, but it affects your celery plants more. It also affects other plants like beets, parsley and parsnip too. These brown-headed worms turn into brown, hard-shelled adults which are snout-nosed. The adult weevil is actually a bit smaller than the worm.

Carrot Weevil Just a Problem for This Part of the Country

Fortunately for many parts of the U.S., the carrot weevil is only a problem East of the Rockies. This pest leaves zigzag tunnels in the roots of affected plants, but it also leaves the same zigzag patterns in the tops of plants too. And it causes defoliation. So you should be able to recognize its presence through its unique pattern left behind.

Preventing the Carrot Weevil

Since this garden problem likes to overwinter in garden litter and hedgerows, and it produces two to three generations of weevils per year, you can help prevent it by limiting garden litter and hedgerows first and foremost. But you will need to be diligent in organically controlling this insect pest, since your efforts may prevent or head off the first generation, but if you don't maintain vigilance, you may not be effective in stopping the second or third generation of the weevil from producing again in the same year.

Source
"The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Food Organically" by Tanya L.K. Denckla