Knowledgebase

beans dying? #576143

Asked July 02, 2019, 9:22 AM EDT

Hello,

Can you please tell me what the potential problems are with the bean plants (tongue of fire)?  Please see pictures.  Is this an insect infestation?  What is that insect? I've had 1 harvest of the beans already and the pods seem unaffected.

Thank you!


Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi- you are seeing the signs (bristly yellow larvae) and symptoms (skeletonized leaves) of the Mexican bean beetle- the most significant bean pest of vegetable gardens. There are 2-3 generations per year. When plants are severely infested it's best to perform a destructive harvest and plant bean seed for a second crop. This breaks the pest lifecycle. See video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zItmIExJMPk&t=47s
See more info on this pest:
https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/mexican-bean-beetle-vegetables

Jon

Answered by the Home & Garden Information Center's Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturists Replied July 02, 2019, 4:36 PM EDT

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