Holey Martock Beans

[BarleySugar]

Hi,
Thanks to Heywayne, I grew some Martock beans this year, and decided to let a number of them grow on so I could save the seed. When I shelled them out I found over half with these round holes in. Obviously the creature has grown up and left. I'm a little yeuch, wondering how many I might have eaten when they were young.
Anyway, I was after some advice: -
What were the creatures?
How can I stop them?
Do you think the holey beans will grow? The holes will be in the seed leaves, but they don't seem to affect the growing point.

[zazen999]

Bean Weevil

bean weevil - Google Search

Euch!

[Flummery]

Bung them in the freezer for a day or two - that kills the little beggars off if there are any still in. Generally speaking, if they haven't eaten the 'germ' of the seed (there'll be a proper word for that no doubt) then it will still grow.

[BarleySugar]

After a google search myself I found these Bayer CropScience - Pestspotter - Bruchid beetle and PGRO field results make controlling the bruchid beetle easier - 4/26/2008 - Farmers Weekly.
Not that I want to spray, but it gives a good description of what they do. I've just checked on my crimson flowered broad beans from T&M and found 2 beans affected, and in the jar of my self saved seeds, there were 3 emerged, dead adults, and 3 beans with holes. The others look OK I think.
I'd read up on bean weevils before, but the stuff I read said they ate the root nodules and notched the leaves, but didn't affect the crop, so i hadn't worried too much when I saw them in the summer. I'm not sure if these are different ones, sounds like it as the bruchid beetles feed on the pollen not the leaves according to the link.
If I pop the beans in the freezer, won't it kill the beans? I know they are hardy, but my freezer goes down to -18

[Flummery]

Not if they are dry. You can store seeds in these conditions - that seed bank in Sweden is all frozen.

[BarleySugar]

Great, then into the freezer they will go for a short time. I didn't want to loose them all as I deliberately grew these out of the way of other beans so I could save the seed ready for the alltoment (if we ever get onto the ground , but that's another story)