is it black fly?

[queen of the cobs]

I have got lots of block 'eggs' on my plants, especially my beans, nasturtiums and sunflowers. There seem to be ants on there too. Are these ant eggs or black fly? The plants don't seem to be doing very well and the flowers are definitely dead. Any suggestions on what I could do? (I didn't have this last year). And just when the beans were starting to look like they were putting a growth spurt on

[stanhol]

Garden pest identification and natural pest control

I have them too! Not sure how to deal with them either, they are way down in the middle of my brussels too far to squidge!

Sandra

[Capsid]

Blackfly are born alive. Ant eggs are laid undegorund in a nest. They are probably the eggs of a flying insect which may be beneficial. So wait til they hatch and see what they are.

[Demeter]

Blackfly can look a bit like eggs, as they have soft, rounded bodies. If the ants are on them I reckon they are blackfly. Do they look like the pic stanhol linked to?

If so - squish as many as you can, spray them with soapy water (and/or garlicky water which also seems to work). And if you can get rid of the ants so much the better as the ants protect them from predators like ladybird / hoverfly larvae. I'm trying semolina to get rid of them but to be honest it doesn't really seem to be working (not yet...)

There are chemicals too, if you don't mind using them. They might well work more quickly than other methods.

[rustylady]

Blackfly are born alive. Ant eggs are laid undegorund in a nest. They are probably the eggs of a flying insect which may be beneficial. So wait til they hatch and see what they are.

NO DON'T WAIT!! They are definitely blackfly and they are sucking the life out of the plants. Ants "farm" them for the honeydew they secrete. Blackfly is a bit of a misnomer because they don't actually have wings at the stage they infest plants. They should maybe be called plant lice. You can rub them off with your fingers, spray with soapy water, or use an insecticide, but if you leave them they will ruin your plants.

[Two_Sheds]

chemicals ... might well work more quickly than other methods.

There's nowt quicker than just squishing them with your fingers. Oddly satisfying too. Just remember to wash your hands before you eat your sarnies.

[sharonr]

I`ve had this on my broad beans. I`ve noticed today that where the black bug was the otherday there is now a husk looking thing with a small hole in it, is that where a bug has comeout of it? The bug was about 3mm long and quite rounded.
Sharon.