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I thought the beans of broad beans were virtually immune to pests but some of mine have a brown mark on them with discolouration beginning below. The picture shows a young bean,picked so it's still sweet. Any one any ideas what the small mark is caused by?
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I can't say for certain . . . some of my pods have been holed by slugs and then visited by Earwigs, so the damage could be from Earwig.Originally posted by TrialAndError View Post -
I've had bruchid beetles in broadies in previous years, and this year, for the first time, they've been attacked by shield bugsAll gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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I think it might be Bruchid beetles.
I left quite a few broad beans to save seed from this year. A month or so ago I collected them because the pods were going brown and crispy. Many of the seeds had similar marks to yours, although the seeds had changed colour due to drying out. I assumed it was just superficial damage and spread the seeds out on a windowsill to finish drying out.
But today when I was inspecting them, I found that many of the beans had small holes in. And hiding on the windowsill among the beans I found a couple of small beetles that have emerged from the beans via the holes. It's these fellows: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=454
That link says it's still okay to plant the seeds and they will usually grow. But I want to be sure all the beetles have come out first, so I think I'll leave the beans on the windowsill for a while longer yet. They might escape but my house is a good mile from the allotment site so good luck to them in finding any beans next spring!Comment
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