[anatomick]

Hello all,
Just wondering if someone can help with a pod setting problem for Broad Beans?
They have been in flower for a week or two now but none seem to be setting.
There seems to be plenty of bee activity (also ant activity and black fly for a few days now :roll: ).
Looking at them closely it seems that pretty much every flower over a certain size has some irregular holes chewed at it's base. Like something's trying to bypass the front of the flower for the nectar and hence polinating them.
I've sat and watched but it doesn't seem to be the ants - they are just doing their normal thing of farming blackfly!
I think the same thing possibly happened last year as I didn't get any beans at all in my Spring sowing but I didn't notice if there were the same holes.

Thanks

Mick

[Jake]

Mine are the same!!!

Sorry can't advise but thought you'd like to know you're not alone.

[Aunt Sally]

I think it's bees with short tongues that do that.  I'll go see if I can find some info.

[Aunt Sally]

Here we go:

Buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Bombus terrestris is extremely common in UK gardens. It is characterised by a brownish-orange or
white tip to the abdomen and has black and golden yellow/orange stripes
on the thorax. It is sometimes confused with Bombus lucorum, which always has a white tip and
more yellowy stripes. Bombus terrestris is one of the larger bumblebees and has a short tongue so
it forages on flowers with shallower nectar chambers such as daisies. It is able to feed on flowers
with longer chambers by biting a hole further down the flower.

On this site: http://www.royensoc.co.uk/downloads/gardenento.pdf

The flower does not get pollinated as the bee goes in the back door so to speak

[anatomick]

Thanks Aunt Sally,
That would explain it as there do seem to be a large proportion of  bumble bees compared to normal bees. I even photgraphed one fitting that description as I thought it looked so impressive!
Maybe some small guage netting that lets in smaller bees but keeps out the bumbles - I'll investigate and repost.

Thanks

Mick

[anatomick]

Hmm - netting doesn't work as I just tried it and watched some honey bees hovering around the flowers but unable to get through.
Besides which I just saw the culprit - a bumble bee -you were spot on Aunt Sally - chew into the base of the flower whilst another bumble bee climbed in the front way normally. As I gather bumble bees are in decline and I couldn't selectively deny one species over another then it looks like I'll just have to sacrifice my beans to them!
 :roll: And I love Broad Beans!

[Aunt Sally]

I think if the long tounged bee gets in as well your beans should get pollinated even if they have a hole in  

[Jake]

there's always the pollination by paintbrush option, but I don't know how many plants you've got.