What's eating my garlic?

Garlic's main pest is the allium leaf miner in the UK and Europe, whose larvae tunnel through leaves and bulbs. Onion thrips scar foliage. In the US, onion fly maggots damage bulbs underground. Leek moth affects UK crops. Rabbits and deer rarely eat garlic due to its strong odour.

Rows of white feeding punctures on leaves; larvae tunnel into stems and bulb neck, causing rot Cover crops with fine insect-proof mesh from October and March; remove and destroy affected plants; no chemical control is available to home growers in the UK

Silvery streaks and blotching on leaves; severe infestations stunt bulb development Blue sticky traps to monitor; spinosad or insecticidal soap spray; avoid over-applying nitrogen; remove crop debris promptly after harvest

Maggots tunnel into bulbs; leaves yellow and collapse; soft rot follows Cover with insect-proof mesh at planting; practice 3-year crop rotation; plant sets rather than seed where fly pressure is high