"Sallyann" wrote in message
...

Thanks for the replies. I looked at the pictures and they were
definitely not ladybird or lacewing larvae.

I didn't think they were big enough to be flea beetles but when i went
to put some in jar to show my mum (who knows much more about gardening
than me) they did jump like fleas!

I will have a look on the internet this morning to try and find out if
flea beetles do any harm.

Thanks,

Sallyann



The only time to worry is if they're doing postive damage to the
plants. Flea beetles, and maybe their lavae, will eat small holes
in the leaves. However most plants can stand a few holes in the
leaves in any case. As they can the ocasional lump chewed from
the edges by the odd weevil. If you were a subsistence farmer
whose whole livelihood depended on growing a single field of beans
then that might be different. And the presence of any such threat
would a cause for immediate worry.

In my experience black bean aphids are only a problem later in
the year - when there are actually beans hanging on the vines
and I often use a softish jet of water out of a pump sprayer
to stun them rather than use dilute washing up liquid which
will get in their eyes. Which can't be much fun for them. Whereas
what ladybirds and other natural predators get up to, is none of
my business. True.


michael adams

....




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Sallyann