Ants on Broad Beans

[Two_Sheds]

soapy water sprayed all over them so hopefully problem solved

Was it horti soft soap? Or Fairy? If the latter, you're likely to kill the leaves

And it won't be problem solved: more aphids will come, so keep checking, keep checking

[kathyd]

I found 2 blackfly on my larger beans yesterday, so have nipped tops of those - didn't think about eating them though! Next time . I watched the ants for a while and they seemed to be nuzzling at the base of the flowers, presumably to get at the sweet stuff inside? A bee also seemed to stick its nose through the base of a flower rather than go up via the petals... I wonder if the ants are making use of holes made by bees??

I use eco / bio washing up liquid to spray, very dilute - so far no leaves gone brown...

[frogga]

I used Eco washing up liquid on them, only a very weak mixture, and lots of squashing them into the gloves I was wearing, will continue to do this every day for the time being.

[Two_Sheds]

A bee also seemed to stick its nose through the base of a flower rather than go up via the petals..

Yep, bumbles often go straight round the back and make a hole there. They don't do half as much pollinating as people think they do. They're burglars, robbing the nectar without doing the work

Bumblebee behaviour, communication, profit and loss, scent marking, distances flown, foraging preferances, nectar robbing

scroll to the bottom of that link, where it says Nectar robbing

[Two_Sheds]

I found 2 blackfly on my larger beans yesterday

Well, my blackfly has arrived. Nothing on Saturday, but today a couple of the broad bean plants were smothered in them: too many to squash, so I nipped off all the affected parts and put the whole lot in the daleks.

They're on their other favourite plant too, philadelphus

[Tripmeup]

Mine arrived yesterday..nipped off tops too..

[Normans Mum]

I've had blackfly on my broadies too. Have pinched the tops off and have had to spray with soap solution, which I don't like doing really, but there you go.