How to deal with Beans pests and diseases?

Beans are one of the easiest to grow plants. They are popular as plant choices in people’s gardens because they are easy to maintain and have significant nutritional value. They have a variety of species that can be grown in different climate areas. Hence, we can say that beans are indeed a versatile vegetable. 

Your usual bean plant can grow in vines or as a bushy plant. They are warm-season vegetables, hence it is advised that you grow them in March-April. These are annual plants, so you will have to grow them year after year. 

Pests In Bean Plants

However, just because it is easy to grow beans doesn’t mean you don’t have to care for them. It is not like these aren’t averse to getting infected. 

Some of the common pests and diseases that beans can contact are - 

1. Jassids
2. Black Bean Aphids
3. Mites
4. Mexican Bean Beetle
5. Bean Weevil
6. Pod borer 
7. Bean Leaf Beetle among others

Mexican Bean Beetle

A type of ladybug, these are some of the most common types of beans insects. Although it shares its family with other important insects, the Mexican Bean Beetle is notorious when it comes to the health of your plant. The Beans insect usually occupies  the entire plant.

These usually make their homes in Lima beans and snap beans. If you have the beggarweed around your plants, it is advised that you weed it out as soon as possible as these are the ones that host Mexican Bean Beetles. 

If they infest the plants for a long time, the plant will defoliate. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a pest attack.

The Mexican bean beetle feeds on leaves, flowers, and pods, in both the larval and adult stages. The larvae are more insidious than the adults as they need to consume more to grow. 

If your snap bean plant has just begun to bloom, it won’t be long before entire pods are damaged by the beetle infestations.

Other Pests

There are a lot of other bugs in beans that can harm the health of your plants. Beans are mostly infected and attacked by bean pests such as aphids, bean beetles, flea beetles, mites, slugs, and leafhoppers.

1. If you want to get rid of mites and leafhoppers, you wouldn’t have to do anything too complicated. Just use your water hose and spray it on your plants. You can use one of the insecticidal soaps available in the market. It is very essential to use proper gardening tools so you get desired results.
2. You can look for eggs that are nesting on the apex of leaves. You can pick them out and crush them to get rid of them.
3. All sorts of beetles (Mexican beetles, cucumber beetles, flea beetles) can be removed via various methods. Handpick the eggs and larvae and dispose of them away from your garden/field, Use insecticidal soaps. Keep the area clean of weeds. 
4. You can use canola oil and kaolin to keep the beetles away too.
5. Invest in diatomaceous earth and spread it around at the base of your bean plants.

What to do in case of Aphids

Bean aphids are small insects that can be red, green, or grey. They are most persistent in summers. They pierce the leaves and suck the sap out of the plants. 

In order to recognize aphid infestation, keep a lookout for droopy plants with yellow leaves. Most aphids also secret a sticky liquid named honeydew which you can spot on leaves and in the soil around your bean plants. It's very important to have healthy soil so seeds get all the required nutrients and grow well.

If you want to spot aphids, you will have to look at the underside of the leaves.

Aphids tend to move away after a few weeks, but if you spot them, you can pluck the leaves they have attacked and throw them away. You can also spray your bean plants with your hose and use insecticidal soap if you want to take further precautions. 

How to avoid insects on bean plants

While most of these infestations are easy to spot and remove, they can worsen the condition of your plant if left to persist. Keep using a steady stream of water from your hose on your plants, and buy a good insecticidal soap. Keep noticing your plants’ conditions and investigate if you see any of them yellowing or drooping. 

Maintaining a clean garden is also necessary. It is very essential to protect your home gardens especially in winters. Do not plant your beans near shrubs or other plants as these are home to a lot of insects. Weed out useless grasses and weeds. Handpick your leaves that have rotten or have insects on them. 

Bean Mosaic Yellow Virus 

If the leaves of your plant show discoloration in patches then it is likely that it has been infected by the yellow mosaic virus. This virus is mostly transmitted via aphids and has no chemical solution. It is advised that you get rid of aphids as soon as you see them, or else your entire plant will be ruined. 

It is advised that you do not store seeds year after year and use them as they come. Storing them will lead to viability reduction. They also get prone to more viral problems. 

Where to buy bean seeds from?

If you are planning on growing your bean garden, we recommend that you start by buying good-quality beans seeds. We at Urja Seeds sell the most affordable and healthy seeds. You can use these to grow your plants and have vegetables and fruits which are safe to consume. At the present moment we have three types of beans available, namely - Pole Bean Seeds, Bush Beans (Chanda), Bean Seeds - Upma. 

All our products are shipped all over India. We have an easy return policy that is applicable on certain products.

All our seeds are handpicked and assessed individually so you won’t be getting any bad products. We have a trusted team that assesses all our products and makes sure that what reaches our customers is the best of the lot. 

If you use our seeds and follow these instructions, you will get a healthy garden really soon.

If you are considering starting a garden, you can go through our online store and order a bunch of seeds online of different varieties, and get going today! We have various vegetable seeds, flower seeds, exotic seeds and micro green seeds too.

FAQs

Q1: How long does it take for bean plants to grow beans?

Ans. Depending on the variety, beans take anywhere between 55-65 days. 

Q2: How many bean pods does one bean plant produce?

Ans. Although it depends on a lot of factors, if you are growing it in a wide safe with sufficient resources, you can expect around 120 pods.

Q3: How frequently should I water my bean plant?

Ans. You should water your bean plants every day. They require 1.5 inch of water per day.

Q4: Are bean plants annual?

Ans. Yes, like a lot of other garden plants, they too are annual. So you will have to grow them year after year. 

Also Read

6 Tomato Pests that will destroy your Tomato Plants