How to Stop Insects From Eating Green Bean Plants
Springtime means time to plant green beans for summer harvest. But you’re not the only one who wants to eat your garden vegetables: Insects such as aphids, thrips and beetles also like to feed on your garden plants. And while some gardeners turn to pesticides to solve their problems, others prefer natural methods for removing insects from garden plants. Whichever method you prefer, there are several ways to deal with insects on green beans.
Strip your garden of weeds, grass and old plant refuse. This removes one potential habitat that pests like to use from your garden.
Mulch around the base of plants to create a environment hostile to insects. Insects that find it hard to push through mulch will not be able to reach your plants.
- Springtime means time to plant green beans for summer harvest.
- But you’re not the only one who wants to eat your garden vegetables: Insects such as aphids, thrips and beetles also like to feed on your garden plants.
Pour insecticidal soap into a garden hose sprayer. Spray the foliage and vines of your bean plants to knock insects off of the plants. This method of treatment works well on aphid colonies and spider mites.
Place strips of aluminum foil around the base of bean plants to prevent thrips from attacking the blossoms of bean plants and preventing pollination.
Mix liquid dish soap in a bucket with water. Place the bucket next to your plants. Hand-pick insects off of plants and throw them into the bucket to kill them.
- Pour insecticidal soap into a garden hose sprayer.
- Spray the foliage and vines of your bean plants to knock insects off of the plants.
Select a general-purpose insecticide to deal with resistant pests such as cowpea curculio. Pests such as these will not respond to cultural practices. Preventative spray is the only method to completely eradicate pests such as these. Pour insecticide into the holding chamber of a pump insecticide sprayer. Prime the pump by grasping the lever and moving it up and down. When the pump is primed, hold the tank in one hand and the spray wand in the other. Activate the spray wand and pass the wand over the foliage of your plants. Move in an even pattern and distribute the insecticide evenly.
- Select a general-purpose insecticide to deal with resistant pests such as cowpea curculio.
- Prime the pump by grasping the lever and moving it up and down.
Reapply pesticides on a regular schedule. Occasionally switch pesticides to prevent bugs from becoming tolerant.
Fertilize your bean plants with a balanced (10-10-10) fertilizer and water them regularly to keep them healthy. Healthy plants are more able to fight off bug infestations than plants that are weakened from poor cultural practices.
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Writer Bio
Tracy Morris has been a freelance writer since 2000. She has published novels and numerous online articles. Her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers including "Ferrets," "CatFancy," "Lexington Herald Leader" and "The Tulsa World." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Arkansas.
