I didn't see any earlier in the year and about a month ago my broad beans became infested with blackfly, far too many to knock off with the hose and too many to try washing-up liquid spray (I don't use any commercial pesticides any more) so I just decided to leave them to see what would happen.
The plants are sill crawling with insects.. but now they are ladybirds and their larvae and most of the blackfly have been eaten! The crop is much reduced of course but there are now hundreds of ladybirds available in my garden and they are flying onto other plants and cleaning those up too.
Basically, the broad bean plants acted as a ladybird farm.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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I didn't see any earlier in the year and about a month ago my broad beans became infested with blackfly, far too many to knock off with the hose and too many to try washing-up liquid spray (I don't use any commercial pesticides any more) so I just decided to leave them to see what would happen.
The plants are sill crawling with insects.. but now they are ladybirds and their larvae and most of the blackfly have been eaten! The crop is much reduced of course but there are now hundreds of ladybirds available in my garden and they are flying onto other plants and cleaning those up too.
Basically, the broad bean plants acted as a ladybird farm.
annmarie - you train them in the same way as with a dog! Mags
They must all be on my allotment loads down there I saw a black one with red spots today still look on the bright side what's your loss is my gain.