Cabbage root maggots are the larval stage of the cabbage root fly. The cabbage root fly looks similar to a common house fly but is smaller. The larvae are small, yellowish-white in color with a pointy head and blunt hind end. Root fly eggs only hatch in cold weather, which is why they typically cause damage to cold weather root vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts and rutabaga. The cabbage root flys’ life cycle includes 4 stages, and there are several generations per year. Adults lay their eggs in the soil in the spring and summer which hatch after a few days. The larvae then feed on plant roots for several weeks pupating in plant roots or in the soil. The adults typically emerge a few weeks later, or the pupae overwinter in the soil and emerge the following spring or summer.