black fly

[roadkill]

they have attacked my broad beans any tips to rid these pests???

also will they effect the beans?

cheers jamie

[TinyT]

I've picked off the tips/the affected stalks. I've seen a few trying to creep back on but squirted them back off with the hose. Seems to be doing the trick for now.

[Flummery]

I use soapy water, a few drops of washing up liquid in a hand-squirter. You need to keep checking though or they'll come back for another bath!

[moggssue]

My broadies are absolutely overrun with blackfly on the lottie. Last year at home I didnt have a single one - planted them up with sweetpeas in the flower border so maybe they were disguised? A thought for future years? I for one will try mixign a few flowers in with them next year.

A quick question if I may on the soapy water idea - I read somewhere (blowd if I can remember where tho sorry!) that the reason it works is they breathe through their skin and the soapy water causes bubbles instead of air so they drown - and the same thing happens to ladybirds and other good bugs we want to attract into the garden. This kind of puts me off spraying with soapy water - any thoughts folks?? Am I completely off beam here??

[Capsid]

moggssue

You are correct, soapy water will kill all the insects. The reason it is preferred is because it only contains detergents which are more biodegradable than some chemicals. However, I think modern bug sprays do break down quickly.

[moggssue]

Thanks Capsid! So is there anything I can use which is specific to the aphids do you know? I really do have an infestation but I really dont want to kill all the good bugs?!

[Capsid]

I'm afraid not. If you can direct the spray to just the affected areas then you will minimise the damage. Other than that, squish or pinch out the affected tips.

[sharonr]

I`ve got a problem with blackfly to. I tried soapy water but that didn`t work, my dad says as I`ve got ants running about on my infested beans they should eat them (yuk), but I`ll need alot of ants as there are loads of them. Should I spray with bug spray or will that harm the ants.
Sharon.

[heebiejeebie]

I thought the ants were farming the blackfly - I certainly see them together a lot and the ants are not munching!

Seems to be a record year for them in the lottie. The broadies aren't too bad now I've pinched out the tips and done some squishing, but the runners are really badly infested.

[Two_Sheds]

In future, try some sacrificial flowers alongside your beans ... calendula and nasturtium are LOVED by blackfly. Once infested, pull out and compost.

[SarzWix]

Yes, the ants are helping the blackfly, not getting rid of them Squirting them off with a hose or plain water in a water pistol or something similar doesn't harm the good things like ladybirds as they have a hard shell & the blackfly are soft. You can buy in ladybirds or ladybird larvae from lots of places if you don't seem to have enough? I've found that ladybirds love to live in/on sunflowers so you could try planting loads of them to attract some?

[sharonr]

l`ll try the sunflower trick, I would rather try something organic like ladybirds. I find it strange how they are only infesting 2 of my runnerbeans all the others are blackfly free.
Sharon.

[Two_Sheds]

I find it strange how they are only infesting 2 of my runnerbeans all the others are blackfly free.

The nymphs don't have wings, so tend to stay where they are born ~ on the one plant. Munch, munch, munch.
There are lots of ladybird larvae around now ... but mine tend to be on the plants that don't have any aphids on them I move them onto my infested plants (they don't have wings either, so tend to stay where I put them)

[sharonr]

This may sound daft, but what do ladybird lavae look like?
Sharon.

[Two_Sheds]

here, I've googled for ya: Google Image Result for http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/966/55045827.JPG

like little black alligators