What Are the Green Bugs Eating My Green Beans?
Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are a crispy and fresh treat for gardeners. Their vines grow quickly and require little attention besides water and a frame for climbing. Insects eat green beans. From larva to adult, there are green suspects eating your green beans. Does this Spark an idea?
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Stink Bugs
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Stink bugs are shield-shaped, flat insects ranging in color from green to brown. They may feed on leaves but prefer the sap of pods. Clear or water soaked areas are signs of stink bug infestation. They inject pathogens that kill or seriously damage the plant. Pesticides are recommend treatment when you find one bug per 10 feet of row, according to Clemson University.
Lygus Bugs
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Lygus bugs are found throughout the United States and range in color from tan and brown to green. They are sap-sucking insects and feed on buds and young pods, causing bud drop and distorted beans. A few won't damage the plant severely, according to the University of California Davis. They host on weeds, so keeping a weed-free garden helps limit their populations. Pesticides are necessary if populations are large.
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Lycaenid Pod Borers
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Lycaenids are green, grublike caterpillars that bore into pods and feed on the beans inside. They leave visible holes in the pods. Remove them by hand or cut off infected portions of the plant. They overwinter in soil, so tilling before planting helps reduce populations. Spraying with Bacillus thuringiensis or spinosad is also effective.
Corn Earworm
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These pests are problematic in beans planted late in the season. They range in color from light green to pink to black and are be recognized by the alternating light and dark stripes running laterally along their bodies. They eat foliage but prefer pods, leaving ragged holes through the pod's skin. They spread pod rot. Tilling and pesticides are not generally effective. There are some natural predators, such as the spotted lady beetle, but these are unpredictable, according to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Center.
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References
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Bean & Southern Pea Insect Pests; Randall P. Griffin, et al.; February 1999
- Washington State University; Lygus bugs (Tarnished plant bug); E.W. Anthon; 1993
- University of California: Lycaenid Pod Borer
- Integrated Pest Management Centers: Crop Profile for Green Beans in Texas
- University of California: Beans
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
