Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: azubah on June 09, 2008, 07:38

Title: runner bean root fly?
Post by: azubah on June 09, 2008, 07:38
One of my runner beans was wilting badly so I pulled it up and saw lots of small white grubs around the stem. There were no roots left on the plant. I have never had problems with runner bean roots being eaten before.
The grubs were about 3 or 4 mm long (or less than 1/5" for those of us who use proper rulers).
I drowned them in a water butt.
Has anyone else come across this problem? Does anyone know what they are? And, more threateningly, do they have more than one generation in a season?
Title: runner bean root fly?
Post by: digby on June 09, 2008, 07:48
I've not come across this before but I've looked in my book (veg from the 'expert' series) and the only thing that comes close are bean seed fly - damaged seeds will fail to germinate, seedlings wilt and become distorted.

Treatment - destroy damaged seedlings, prevent by preparing good seed bed or plant compost- raised seedlings.

The picture in the book is a bit like a tiny white maggot.
Title: runner bean root fly?
Post by: sharky on June 09, 2008, 10:42
I'm afraid to say I had exactly the same problem although it only affected one plant. I believe it is the pea moth fly.
Title: runner bean root fly?
Post by: DD. on June 09, 2008, 11:46
Have a look at this thread..

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=17958
Title: runner bean root fly?
Post by: gobs on June 09, 2008, 14:23
Pea moth larvae are in the peas, when you open the pod... :wink:  :lol:
Title: runner bean root fly?
Post by: azubah on June 09, 2008, 16:44
Quote
Have a look at this thread..

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=17958
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 Thanks all. I did use beans which I saved from last year (for the first time), so I think that it must be the bean fly in the link found by DD.