Anyone buying plants urged to avoid 1 vegetable 'pests absolutely love'

Carrots are a beloved vegetable, known for their unique earthy sweetness and satisfying crunch. They're , stews, cakes and even juices, not to mention their rich content of vital nutrients like vitamins A and C.

It's no surprise they're a top pick for those wanting to grow their own produce at home. can be a rewarding experience, but beware - the plant attracts a particularly troublesome that can be difficult to eliminate. have been warned to exercise caution when cultivating this root vegetable as it is known to attract a destructive insect called the carrot fly.

These small black insects typically emerge in late spring and thrive in warmer temperatures. This means that Britain's recent heatwave has provided ideal conditions for them to multiply rapidly, reports .

The carrot fly gets its name from its larvae's preferred food source - carrot roots. But they're not fussy eaters; they'll also munch on parsnips and celery if these are growing nearby.

While the adult flies don't usually damage the carrots themselves, they lay their eggs close to carrot patches. Once hatched, the larvae burrow into the roots of the carrots to feed.

This results in carrots riddled with holes and disfigured by the presence of small cream-coloured maggots. The damage leaves the vegetable susceptible to secondary rots.

Fortunately, there is one surefire way of stopping this nuisance in its tracks.

As suggested: "Carrots...are prone to carrot fly which tunnel down to the root (carrot) so cover them with a fleece or cloche in their early growing period."

Safeguarding your juicy carrots with horticultural fleece or fine mesh (i.e. a cloche) from the moment they're in the soil is the ticket to averting an infestation. This method works a treat as it thwarts flies from depositing their offspring close to your prized plots.

When implementing this approach, ensure you whip off the cover only briefly for watering and weeding, keeping those crafty critters at bay. Moreover, double-check there are no sneak-in spots for any larvae itching to get through.

Some savvy cultivation hacks to keep carrot flies at arm's length involve interspersing your crops with pungent pals like onions and leeks, which these pests can't stand.

Alternatively, consider a tactical delay in sowing until early summer to dodge the May onset of carrot flies.

And, as autumn lurks, promptly harvesting your carrots means you can give the earth a good turn and let the birds feast on any sneaky larvae left behind.