Black fly and Ants on My Bean Stem
I have just one stem 4 inches long covered with black fly and the ants seem to be just walking over them
A friend suggested that they maybe looking after them and farming them
Sounds potty to me but any thoughts friends
Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
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Yes, ants do 'farm' aphids; They move young ones to new growth and protect them from attack! When aphids suck the sap of plants, there is too much sugar for them to digest and they get rid of it as 'honeydew', which the ants feed on. It is a symbiotic relationship. Interesting read here:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009212548.htm
The usual trick is to pinch out the top few inches of stem after the beans have set. This makes life more difficult for the aphids (as they then only have tough old tissue to get their teeth into) and helps the beans ripen.
However, this is normally applied in early summer when the beans are ripening. I'm a bit puzzled as to why it's a problem now - broad beans are in the freezer and on the compost heap. Unless you've got them on runner beans....
Steve.....on one stem of one runner bean
Bob......thanks thats something I have learnt today