[oscar71]

Hi All

First time post so please be gentle 

We always have had black fly on our broad beans and occasionally on other plants.
This year seems really bad for black fly... on our broad beans, encroaching on to our runner beans dwarf beans even seeing them on the oka, tomatoes and a small amount on some of our brassicas.

Its the worst I've know in the short 3 years we had our plots. At our allotment pretty much everybody is having the same problem with masses of the damn things.

I've been spraying with plain water, soapy water, neem oil, I've even tried tomato leave stew. We are trying to grow as close to organic standards as possible so chemicals are a no go for us.

I have noticed very few ladybirds and those that are around seem to be stuffed full 

Is this just a bit of bad luck for us or is this issue as bad elsewhere and does anyone have a magic trick they wish to share?

Thanks in advance
Paul

[New shoot]

No magic tricks I'm afraid and a lot of us have been moaning about blackfly and greenfly this year 

I was at my plot the other day and my beans are covered.  I was just about to reach for the soap spray, when I noticed ladybird eggs and larvae, so I am hoping they are just about to catch up and there will be a ladybird population explosion.  I have plenty for them to eat 

In the meantime, I am picking the beans and chucking them straight into a bucket of water.  This is also nice to dunk your hands in when the stickiness gets too much.  A few good swirls around when the bucket is full, rinse and repeat a couple of times and the beans emerge clean again 

[oscar71]

Thanks New Shoot,
We already place our beans in a bucket of water when harvesting.

Do they cause any serious damage to the plants and beans?

I suppose its reassuring to hear there many more of us are struggling with the damn things.

Is it extra bad this year? And is it worse because there wasn't a cold enough spell over winter to kill them off?

Right I'm off down the plot to carry on the war 

[Oddpod]

This article about the life cycle of blackfly and overwintering is worth a read http://www.gardenseeker.com/plant_pests_problems/plant-pests/blackfly_life_cycle.html

[Salmo]

As well as the guilder rose mentioned in the article, spindle tree is also popular. These two are favourites planted by conservationists. Is there a connection between conservation planting and lots of blackfly. Scientists used to count blackfly eggs on spindle trees in the Spring to predict the severity of blackfly in commercial crops.

[Hampshire Hog]

My beans have certainly been attacked badly!
Waiting to see how crop fares😱😱😱

HH

[surbie100]

Some of my beans won't mature I think. They are covered in blackfly despite soapy water and hosing the plants down. They cover my squashes, as well as the artichokes, beetroot, salsify, all the french beans, and I am seeing them on spuds too. There are many ladybirds,  but they just don't seem to be making a dent this year.

On the plus side there are hardly any slugs.

[oscar71]

Thanks everyone.

We have a distinct lack of ladybirds 
And I've noticed a lot less slugs as well... if it's not one things it's always another, heyho that's the joy of GYO.

Thanks for the article link Oddpod, very interesting.

[azubah]

Most of the comments seem to be coming from the south. I haven't seen any blackfly here yet. Someone up north mentioned plagues of ladybirds, so perhaps they will come south.

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

Most of the comments seem to be coming from the south. I haven't seen any blackfly here yet. Someone up north mentioned plagues of ladybirds, so perhaps they will come south.

Sadly my field beans and broad beans are covered with blackfly (not that we are North-even in my Southern opinion!) but we do have ladybirds although sadly not native ones so perhaps they are migrating.

[AK9]

same situation here. The beans are covered and not sure what to do.
I have seen few larvae of ladybirds but not much..

Some leaves have started to wilt. Shall I remove them?

[theothermarg]

Same here  pinching off tops didn't stop the onslaught and am spraying Washing up liquid in water in an effort to at least slow them down and get a few more beans to maturity.
This years peskier pests it seems 
marg

[RJR_38]

I have been going along my plants with a piece of kitchen towelling and squishing them which seems to have been working. There are a lot of them this year though

[azubah]

I've got blackfly now. I could not see any two days ago.

[mjg000]

My first planting of BB's have been devastated by blackfly despite soapy water, fire hosing and squishing.  The second bed, planted a few weeks later are just now succumbing to them.  No ladybirds at all over the last few weeks but suddenly today, everywhere I was weeding had half a dozen ladybirds crawling about!  Too late for the first lot but hope they find the blackfly on my second batch of BB's!!