Author Topic: Black fly  (Read 4210 times)

tricia

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,224
  • Torbay, Devon
Black fly
« on: June 05, 2020, 13:20:48 »
The attack on my Cobra and Moonlight beans has started early this year!  :BangHead: I'm having to spray daily with a soapy water mixture to keep them at bay - as well as water most  of the young plants pretty much every day due to lack of rain.

Tricia  :wave:

ancellsfarmer

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,335
  • Plot is London clay, rich in Mesozoic fossils
Re: Black fly
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2020, 13:46:27 »
The attack on my Cobra and Moonlight beans has started early this year!  :BangHead: I'm having to spray daily with a soapy water mixture to keep them at bay - as well as water most  of the young plants pretty much every day due to lack of rain.

Tricia  :wave:
Are they being 'farmed' by ants? If so, you might try a drop or two of Nippon in a small bottle  at the base of the sticks.
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

Obelixx

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,936
  • Vendée, France
Re: Black fly
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2020, 14:27:59 »
Have you tried planting nasturtiums in and near your beans?   I use them as sacrificial plants as they attract aphids and butterflies.   

The only beans I've had success with here are broad beans, sown in the ground in late November.   They enjoyed the wet winter and were already cropping before any blackfly arrived.   Too dry for green or other beans but I'm still sowng nasturtiums, just in case.
Obxx - Vendée France

BarriedaleNick

  • Global Moderator
  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,133
  • Cartaxo, Portugal
    • Barriedale Allotments
Re: Black fly
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2020, 18:54:28 »
My climbing beans got blackfly before they even started twisting round the bamboo!
Should not have put them so close to the broadies!
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

saddad

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 17,884
  • Derby, Derbyshire (Strange, but true!)
Re: Black fly
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2020, 13:46:43 »
Touchwood... the only ones I have seen have been on one head of elderflowers.. of the 20 I picked that OH has turned into cordial.... but I haven't grown any broad beans. Have had aphids on the new tips of the cherry but pruned it all off.

tricia

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,224
  • Torbay, Devon
Re: Black fly
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2020, 15:12:15 »
Same here for my Sunburst cherry tree  saddad. Last year I had the same problem and cut out the infected new growth only to see the curled sticky mess again this year.  Is there any way of preventing it happening? The Morello cherry never has aphids - but has dropped at least half of this year's crop due to lack of water in May!

Tricia  :wave:

saddad

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 17,884
  • Derby, Derbyshire (Strange, but true!)
Re: Black fly
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2020, 14:58:24 »
Mine were a sunburst and a summer sun.. the Napoleon wasn't as bad. I don't know of any preventative measure but somebody on here might!

AnnieD

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 124
  • Royston, North Herts, very chalky
Re: Black fly
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2020, 13:30:11 »
My climbing beans got blackfly before they even started twisting round the bamboo!
Should not have put them so close to the broadies!

Exactly the same for me Nick!

I'm doing the soapy water because I never use chemicals on my plot. But seriously worried it's not going to work. Does anyone use spray on blackfly? Don't want to, but don't want to lose my beans  :sad10:
« Last Edit: June 14, 2020, 13:35:18 by AnnieD »
Located in Royston, North Herts.

Obelixx

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 2,936
  • Vendée, France
Re: Black fly
« Reply #8 on: June 14, 2020, 14:04:07 »
Soapy water is bad for the predators like ladybirds, wasps and lacewings that will eat your blackfly.  Tits and sparrows that feed them to their nestlings won't like it either.

Can you squish with your fingers and use a blast from a hosepipe while you wait for the predators to arrive?  Or some garlic spray?
Obxx - Vendée France

AnnieD

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 124
  • Royston, North Herts, very chalky
Re: Black fly
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2020, 16:04:07 »
I will try the garlic spray - not many ladybirds at the moment. It's got onto my french beans too  :hmh:
Located in Royston, North Herts.

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal