help with runner beans!

[loocyloo]

hello! i am not a gardener by any means, but every year we (attempt to)grow runner and french beans, courgettes, potatoes, tomatoes & peas!

just been outside with the children and noticed a whole load of runner bean flowers have vanished! :( not just died off, but completely gone! then we noticed that alot of the flowers have alot of little black beetley bug type things on them, about 1-2-3mm long with a shiny black 'back'. i watched one appear to eat the edge of the flower it was on! i tried blowing them off - none moved! i tried a gentle hosing (as i do want to keep the flowers !) and they they still stayed there! :(

(also noticed something similar over the nastursiums! :( )

any idea what they are? i have tried to google them, but they don't look like the blackfly i used to get on my roses!

any idea how to get rid of them?

i'm fed up of growing veggies for the local wildlife! last year i lost carrots to the mice, and broccolli to caterpillars ( 'cos i forgot to net it in time! :rolleyes: ) oh, and something ate the tops of all my onions! and not mentioning the legions of slugs that were around last year! :(

thank you! xxx

[jaz]

Hi

Not sure if it will work, but got a weak solution of washing up liquid in a spray bottle and spray the plants. It might work, but is worth a try.

Good luck

J
x