I note all answers on this thread were last year until the last 2. Totally different weather patterns this year: My runner beans are doing very well this year (though they were'nt at all bad last year). Bumble bees do tend to go through the back of the flowers on broad beans though I've not noticed them doing that on my runners but in any case it doesn't seem to have affected the yield much. Runner beans do need plenty of water. I always dig a deep trench and back-fill with material from my compost bin + shredded paper from my office, in fact any organic material that will help to retain water - never seems to fail.
The last two refer to bees cutting a hole in the back of the flowers to bypass the reproductive organs and steal the nectar. It isn't linked to the weather or water supply. I've seen them doing it since I started with my first garden, 60 years ago.They have been doing a very thorough job on my beans this year.
Waterbutts, I've been watching this happen on my runners today! I wondered why the crop wasn't as good as last year's despite the better season We've got lots of those new tree bees in this garden (nesting in next door's roof space) and the bees going to the underside of the bean flowers look like tree bees
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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See the thread called Bees Not Doing Their Stuff on 10th August.
I note all answers on this thread were last year until the last 2. Totally different weather patterns this year: My runner beans are doing very well this year (though they were'nt at all bad last year). Bumble bees do tend to go through the back of the flowers on broad beans though I've not noticed them doing that on my runners but in any case it doesn't seem to have affected the yield much. Runner beans do need plenty of water. I always dig a deep trench and back-fill with material from my compost bin + shredded paper from my office, in fact any organic material that will help to retain water - never seems to fail.
The last two refer to bees cutting a hole in the back of the flowers to bypass the reproductive organs and steal the nectar. It isn't linked to the weather or water supply. I've seen them doing it since I started with my first garden, 60 years ago.They have been doing a very thorough job on my beans this year.
Waterbutts, I've been watching this happen on my runners today! I wondered why the crop wasn't as good as last year's despite the better season
We've got lots of those new tree bees in this garden (nesting in next door's roof space) and the bees going to the underside of the bean flowers look like tree bees 
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.