Broad beans not setting pods

[ameno]

My broad beans seem not to be setting pods. For every cluster of 6-8 flowers, I'm lucky if maybe two of them actually set pods. The rest just fall off when they are done, leaving no embryo pod behind.
I thought it might be the dry weather, as runner beans certainly struggle with pod set when they have dry roots, so I've been giving them a good soak, but is there anything else it could be? I've seen bees on them, so I doubt it's simple lack of pollination.

[Penellype]

I'm not an expert on broad beans as I don't like them much. However there are 2 factors that could well be contributing - it has been very cold at night and chilly during the day as well as being very dry. Although the plants are frost hardy it may be that the flowers are not and its possible that if caught by cold at a critical time they won't set. Its also possible that there has been less insect activity due to the cold. Things are warming up now and this should no longer be an issue.

Runner beans can have problems with setting early in the season and there is advice to spray the flowers with water to help setting although some sources say this does not work. As the dry weather looks set to continue for a while unless you are in the north west it wouldn't do any harm to spray the flowers with water as well as keeping the plants well watered.

[Snoop Puss]

What kind of bees, Ameno? If it's bumbles, the flowers may not be getting pollinated as bumblebees tend to make a hole in broad bean flowers to get in rather than going through the front of the flower. I've seen this a lot, so much so that even though Mr Snoop loves broad beans, I've given up trying to grow them. Not worth the space for the few beans we get to harvest. See here for more info: http://www.helpabee.org/buzzy-bee-garden-behaviors.html

[ameno]

What kind of bees, Ameno? If it's bumbles, the flowers may not be getting pollinated as bumblebees tend to make a hole in broad bean flowers to get in rather than going through the front of the flower. I've seen this a lot, so much so that even though Mr Snoop loves broad beans, I've given up trying to grow them. Not worth the space for the few beans we get to harvest. See here for more info: http://www.helpabee.org/buzzy-bee-garden-behaviors.html

Yeah, I'm aware bumble bees will do that, and I have indeed seen small holes in the side of some of the flowers where bumble bees have clearly gained access.
I have also seen plenty of bees going into the flowers normally, though - A few honey bees, but mainly small bumble bees (I think it's just the big ones that chew a hole, as they can't fit into the flower normally) and solitary bees.