Loads of aphids all over broad beans and their pods

[Millymollymandy]

Need some advice as I'm a broad bean virgin and I don't know when to pinch out the growing shoots as the internet gives conflicting advice (soon as they start to flower, when they've finished flowering, when they get to 3 foot tall, etc).

My plants have barely got to 3 foot tall yet, are flowering but the black fly are everywhere, not just the growing tips but all over the pods and flowers as well. In fact they are a mess!

I've heard of painting jam on the stems which is supposed to divert the ants' interest from farming the aphids and that is supposed to kill the aphids (not sure how that kills the aphids though ) or I was going to spray with soapy water (then of course it rained so I couldn't). So right now that it is dry I am unsure which method of control to go for and whether to pinch out the growing tips or not!

I also have several shoots from the base but have just read that I should have pinched these out too and just kept the main one!!!

Edit: they are Aquadulce Claudia if that makes any difference.

[Odsox]

I have always pinched the tops from mine when you can see the bottom pods just forming, but I can't see that it makes any difference if you do it just before or just after. Don't take any notice of the 3 foot advice though as "The Sutton" variety only grows 18 inches tall and some "Longpod" varieties grow to 3 foot before they even think of flowering.

In this strange times we live in I daren't recommend spraying with soapy water as under new EU insecticide laws it's illegal to spray soapy water with the intention of killing aphids (I kid you not), but spraying them with soapy water to give them a wash & brush up is fine, apparently
So yes, spray them with soap, but only with the intention of cleaning all the gunge off the pods

[boboff]

I sprayed with soapy water, within a week they were back!

[Odsox]

I sprayed with soapy water, within a week they were back!

Yes, but I bet they are a new lot moving into vacant territory.
If you got rid of the last lot it's a simple task to do it again surely ?

[RobHed]

Need some advice as I'm a broad bean virgin and I don't know when to pinch out the growing shoots as the internet gives conflicting advice (soon as they start to flower, when they've finished flowering, when they get to 3 foot tall, etc).

My plants have barely got to 3 foot tall yet, are flowering but the black fly are everywhere, not just the growing tips but all over the pods and flowers as well. In fact they are a mess!
:

Me too, Milly - I use an organic pesticide but they return every night - grrr ! They have grown to nearly 6 feet tall now, only a few weeks after having planted what seemed very small plants. Nice lot of beans coming through though - did you plant from seed ? have you any photos ?

[george]

I can explain the jam theory. The ants 'farm' the aphids because they like to eat the sticky honeydew that aphids produce. It is very sweet which the ants like. In exchange the ants protect the aphids from other predators (not because they are altruistic but because they want to keep their sweet food producers). If you give the ants jam and they eat than instead of the aphid honeydew they no longer need to protect the aphids as their food supply.

That is the theory behind it but I have no idea if it would work.

My method of aphid control is pretty gross but it works for me. I just squash them with my fingers. It works best when there are only a few there and is a really good way to keep the numbers small if you do it on a regular basis. However, most people are too grossed out to do this and your fingers do get pretty grubby afterwards but it never bothers me (I used to study insects so I have a bit of a weird attitude to them!).

However, when you get tons of aphids they are really really difficult to control. They are much easier to get rid of or keep manageable by any method if there are only a few of them.

[Odsox]

If you give the ants jam and they eat than instead of the aphid honeydew they no longer need to protect the aphids as their food supply.

I can understand that bit no problem, but what then kills the green/blackfly ?
Just because they are "unprotected" doesn't mean they are going to die unless your plants are swamped with ladybird or hover fly larvae.

If it just the ants you could kill them with boiling water on their nest.

Edited to say, thankfully we don't get blackfly here, so my broad bean tops are clean and are used as a vegetable in their own right.

[boboff]

I sprayed with soapy water, within a week they were back!

Yes, but I bet they are a new lot moving into vacant territory.
If you got rid of the last lot it's a simple task to do it again shirley ?

It is and don't call me Shirley.

Being new at this gardening lark, I like to think of things being done once and properly, still you live and learn.

[Odsox]

I sprayed with soapy water, within a week they were back!

Yes, but I bet they are a new lot moving into vacant territory.
If you got rid of the last lot it's a simple task to do it again shirley ?

It is and don't call me Shirley.

Being new at this gardening lark, I like to think of things being done once and properly, still you live and learn.

Yes Shirley, I know what you mean.
I pulled up all my weeds yesterday and that is the job done for a whole year ... as is the lawn, I mowed that in March and no need to do it again till next year ............

[Shirley]

I sprayed with soapy water, within a week they were back!

Yes, but I bet they are a new lot moving into vacant territory.
If you got rid of the last lot it's a simple task to do it again shirley ?

It is and don't call me Shirley.

Being new at this gardening lark, I like to think of things being done once and properly, still you live and learn.

Oi! Stop it

[Captain Caveman]

My sugar snap peas and a blueberry plant were covered in pink and green aphids. I was really hacked off. I saw a pesticide certified for organic use made from rapeseed oil. It's Bug Clear for Fruit & Veg from Scotts and I made it up into a squirt gun and shot the aphids and they are clear 1 week later. It says you can eat your veg the same day as spraying

I'm impressed and now I've got some marigolds in and some seeds, plus nasturtiums to help prevent them returning

[Millymollymandy]

Lots of advice, thank you good people of this forum . I did try to reply yesterday but something went wrong and I lost what I'd typed!

I will try to have a squidge with soapy water session this pm and I will pinch out the shoots. (Problem is running around trying to do touristy things with family whilst there is no rain...... not much time for gardening jobs which I couldn't do when it was wet!)

I do have nasturtiums growing (albeit up the other end of veg patch) - they self seed now and have been flowering for about a week. They are next to the grotty looking red and black currants (grotty due to aphid damage) whilst the nasturtiums are pristine and not a bug on them! Nature doesn't always work like it is 'supposed to'.

[Millymollymandy]

I have done it all bar the one stalk which had a ladybird on it so I have left him/her lots of nice blackfly!

[RobHed]

Is it possible to but ladybird nests, or else how do I encourage them ?

[RobHed]

http://www.gardening-naturally.com/acat ... birds.html


I found this website and am seriously thinking of buying in some ladybirds or their larvae as I haven't seen a single one in my garden this year. Worth a look anyway

Thanks for the link, SusieGee - I was thinking of introducing ladybirds into the garden to (naturally) combat the blackfly. BTW, there is another ladybird, the Harlequin, that has been causing havoc among the 2-spot ladybirds by preying on them which is why there may be a shortage at the moment.