Pea and Bean Weevil

[PlotOfMine]

Hello there!

Since taking on my new allotment in the last few months, we have been slowly clearing ground and we very proudly planted broad beans and garlic the other week. After looking at them today, there are nibble marks around the edges of lots of the leaves and black sooty marks in the middle of the leaves and the flowers aren't looking too happy either!

I googled the symptoms and the RHS website said I have a case of pea and bean weevil but that the adults who eat the leaves normally appear in June and July. I've never had this problem before, is anyone else getting this? And surely covering the plants with fleece isn't going to make much of a difference if the adults are already there?

Sorry for the long post, I'm quite dismayed that I'm getting pest problems in march!!

Jen


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[kathyd]

I've been reading about companion planting recently, and my books seem to agree that beans benefit from being planted amongst potatoes. Apparently potatoes can help keep 'bean beetles' at bay, and beans can help deter colorado beetles (but let's hope they don't need to!). Anyway, just thought it might be worth mentioning... Sadly I've planted most of my potatoes too closely to interplant with beans, but I've got a few leftovers I might try spacing out and planting a few broadies between them. Interesting experiment if nothing else . They also like carrots and cauliflower apparently, although it doesn't say what the benefits are, just that they like each other.

[Two_Sheds]

the adults who eat the leaves normally appear in June and July.

... meanwhile, the baby maggots are eating the roots all year round! The pea weevil can also live on alfalfa. My alfalfa has been in leaf all "winter", and so are the weevils eating it.
Allotments have endemic pests like these, with so much food for them being grown. Problems would be lesser in private gardens, but on allotments you're going to get everything.

Pea and bean weevils / Royal Horticultural Society

http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/d..._Weevil_01.pdf

[Two_Sheds]

Apparently potatoes can help keep 'bean beetles' at bay

sadly, it doesn't work.
I grow spuds & beans intermingled, and still suffer massive attack from pea weevils

[PlotOfMine]

Thanks very much for the advice, I'm resigned to putting up with it - I may sow a few more just in case anything dire happens, but hopefully they will just plod on through!


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[PlotOfMine]

The beans that is, I definitely don't want the weevils to be doing any plodding!


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[binley100]

I planted peas in my gh border , yup nibbled leaves ..If you lay some sticky paper underneath and give the plant a shake you might be lucky enough to catch some ..

[Nicos]

I've just spotted a bean weevil walking across the table

Yup- the table is covered with seeds ready for the seed swap we're doing...it must have snuck out of an opened packet of seeds????

...going to have to go through all the beans and peas to check they are all pest free now!

[binley100]

That'll keep you quiet for a while ...

[Two_Sheds]

I've just spotted a bean weevil walking across the table

Weevil, or bruchid beetle?

I had a packet of T&M Violetta broadies, which were infested with bruchids ~ yes, they were walking about all over the kitchen *shudder*

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tle_43657.html

[Nicos]

Ah yes!....that was the little blighter!....yuk!

[Shadylane]

Our peas and beans get nibbled every year, but if you wait until big enough before planting out, they generally overcome it and do just fine. I grow peas in guttering, so they're already on their way before I subject them to the big wide world.