Black fly on runner beans

TriciaB

Our runner beans are just starting to crop but yesterday I noticed black fly on a few plants at the end of the row. We are going on holiday so a friend will come and pick the beans. As we will not be around to check on the problem I couldn't use something organic so used a bug killer spray I had in the shed. How soon will it be ok to pick and eat the beans?

Pete.8

Some bug killers are not appropriate for fruit and veg as they can stay within the plant for a long time.
If it's safe to eat crops after spraying it WILL say on the bottle how long you'll need to wait before eating.
I had exactly the same problem last year, my runners were smothered in blackfly, but I don't use sprays ever on anything I'm going to eat, and after a couple of weeks the beans had plenty of ladybird larvae which ate all the blackfly and I had a great crop - just a bit late

Joy*

I spray with water and literally a drop of washing up liquid in a pressure sprayer.  I don't spray ladybirds but since it isn't dangerous you can manipulate the plants with your finger to wash the aphids off. The detergent loosens them and the pressure does the rest. You don't need safety equipment or worry about getting it on your skin and you can eat the beans without worrying.  If your neighbour is willing to do the watering and pick the beans off,  you will be more likely to get more beans when you get home, provided you haven't used something really nasty. If the mature beans aren't picked you will not get more later, sadly.

Skandi

Read the label it will say what the wait period is.

Just turn the hose on them and blast them off, try to avoid dropping them on anything else you want of course!

TriciaB

Thanks for your comments people and sorry for the delay in thanking you. I am back from holiday and beans are doing fine. I really did shoot myself in the foot by spraying them! The spray says it's ok to use crops after 14 days so that's what I am going by.