broad beans black aphids

[Tinks]

hello!
I have tons of little black aphids on my broad beans, does anyone know a good organic way to remove them? a couple of my plants are wilting now, is that because of them or maybe its just the heat? I did think I had seen a thread on broad beans but cant seem to find it now so if anyone can direct me that would be great too. I did read about spraying with soapy water, is that special soap or just washing up liquid? I use ecover. Failing that anyone got any spare ladybirds?!
thanks in advance
tinks

[The Chili Monster]

No ladybirds to spare but I'll pass along those other aphid-munchers, wasps.

[Muddypause]

I've had good results with Ecover on black aphid on both my broad beans and my runners. Make up a solution in one of those spray bottles, and give them a good dousing a couple of times a day. Make sure the folded-up heads of the broad bean plant don't shelter any of them.

The last lot were done for in a day, but sometimes you have to do it for two or three days to get rid of them all.

[Tinks]

thanks for the fast response!
i'll try the ecover spray, hopefully that'll sort it out, was horrible to see!
thinking about it havent seen many wasps down the allotment, didnt know they ate aphids.
thanks again

[ina]

I've also heard that you have less problems with black aphids if you take out the growing tips of the plants - provided you have 10-12 pods on it already. I think they particularly like the tender new leaves at the top.

[The Chili Monster]

Tinks wrote:

thinking about it havent seen many wasps down the allotment, didnt know they ate aphids

They demolish hundreds each day, and caterpillars ... they don't eat them,; they just chew small insects into mush and feed them to their larvae.

[Cheezy]

THe tip is to take out the growing tip, as previously mentioned , as they like fresh growth.

Along with that the earlier you get them off (so start them in the greenhouse/house) the less likely they are to get the black aphid.

And finally , and this has always worked with me, companion plant them with an allium family and marigolds, so thats chives, garlic,onions, planted all around them with marigolds in the same area as well.

(these attract hover fly and the smell puts off a lot of insects.)

[Andy Hamilton]

I tried to grow some wormwood this year from really old seed as a companion plant near my beans, nothing happened grew and I have been out with the ecover spray this morning.

The plants seem to be full of ladybirds as well but just not enough.

The trouble is I have loads of ants on the allotment and they seem to be farming the aphids.

They were selling the tips of broad beans at the farmers market this week too, as a vegetable. I never knew you could eat them.

[hedgewizard]

Can you? Wow! We're self-sufficient for veg right now just eating thinnings and tops!

[eeksypeeksy]

We've got black bean aphids on our broad beans.

So let me see if I've got everything. The things to try are:

1. Soapy water -- sprayed directly on the wee buggers? A weak solution or a strong blast -- how much soap and how much water?

2. Remove the growing tip of the plant? Because aphids like the soft new bits? Will it be obvious which parts to clip off?

3. Loose an army of ladybirds on them and hope they win against the army of ants that are farming and guarding the aphids.

4. Distract the ants with sugar on the ground? This will make them abandon and even eat the aphids? Can that be true? Has someone actually done it successfully, or did I imagine this one?

[Muddypause]

We've got black bean aphids on our broad beans.

So let me see if I've got everything. The things to try are:

1. Soapy water -- sprayed directly on the wee buggers? A weak solution or a strong blast -- how much soap and how much water?

I've just switched washing up liquid brands from Ecover to BioD. The BioD stuff seems slightly better at washing up, but is staining the leaves and turning the growing tips black on my broad beans, so I'd suggest Ecover is better stuff to use. A good squirt to, say, half a pint of water in a spray bottle, and don't be shy with it, give them a good drenching. Apparently the detergent breaks down their waxy skin covering and they die as a result.

4. Distract the ants with sugar on the ground? This will make them abandon and even eat the aphids? Can that be true? Has someone actually done it successfully, or did I imagine this one?

Didn't someone suggest using jam somewhere? I can categorically state that my research with marmalade has been a complete failure.

[eeksypeeksy]

The soapy water seems to be working. Either the aphids are dying or they're very, very sleepy.

I'm just hoping it doesn't do in the beans.

[hedgewizard]

For some reason I can't find any aphids on my broadies this year, which is so unusal I'm actually a little worried... tons of ants charging up and down, but no clue as to what they're doing!

[hedgewizard]

...the answer to that was "seeding out" some aphids. Within days the familiar infestation had started. Pinched out all the tips, washed, and then steamed and tossed in garlic butter with a twist of cayenne pepper... scrummy! Thanks for that tip chaps!

[hedgewizard]

...the answer to that was "seeding out" some aphids. Within days the familiar infestation had started. Pinched out all the tips, washed, and then steamed and tossed in garlic butter with a twist of cayenne pepper... scrummy! Thanks for that tip chaps!