How to spot it

You rarely see the tiny flies. You see what their larvae do: winding white trails or pale blotches inside the leaves.

What it does

Spinach, chard, and beet leaves become blotched and unusable. On other crops the damage is mostly cosmetic.

What to do now

• Pick off and throw away mined leaves.
• Squeeze the trail where the larva is to kill it.

Keep it away next time

• Cover spinach, chard, and beets with row cover.
• Pull lambsquarters and other weeds that host them.
• Turn the soil after harvest.

Helpful supplies

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Plants it affects