runner beans

[aggie]

Its been many months since i have posted on the forum due to ill health not been able to do very much. I did manage to plant my runner beans they were doing very well lots of flowers, then all of a sudden they began to look very droopy is the only word i can describe it. On closer inspection i found lots of Beatles about 1/4 of an inch long, black with what look like rows of orange spiky bits on its back. I have never seen them before can anyone throw some light on this? What do i do to get rid of them. They look quite menacing.

[aggie]

[queenbee]

Could your runner beans be attacked by blackfly or greenfly, the little beetles you describe sound like the Lava of the ladybird which would eat the flies. The ladybird lava are called crocodiles and they are very beneficial.

[aggie]

Yes i do have lots of black fly but these beetles have 6 legs does that sound like the lava of ladybirds? i have never seen ladybird lava myself.

[Magnolia]

Yup.  Googled them and they look mean.

[Digeroo]

Ladybird larvae are rather odd looking beasts but they eat more green flies than the adult ones,

I have lots of black flies on my runners this year.  They seem to be slow to set.  Though I have had quite a lot of french beans,  I have had runners until the frost in November for the last three years,  sown July.

http://www.hippyshopper.com/160606_LadybirdLarvae_big.jpg

[aggie]

Your quite right Queenbee i have also just googled them I have never seen them before they look quite sinister

[Vinlander]

Your quite right Queenbee i have also just googled them I have never seen them before they look quite sinister

Maybe, but they are the best friend you will ever have - if you get any kind of aphid on a precious plant you can transplant these guys and in general they will stay where you put them and eat the lot, whereas ladybirds just bugger off.

Essential pals when you get aphids in the greenhouse.

Cheers.

[macmac]

broke my own rules and sprayed our runners for blackfly but spent most of the time "re locating"ladybird lavae to other plants.I would usually leave them to it but the ratio of ladybird to blackfly was not ever gonna work  :o