Runner beans not setting

There are plenty of flowers but I have not seen any bees on them.

There are plenty of bees on the flower beds, I got stung by one a few days ago so why are they ignoring my beans?

 

Your beans are looking well advanced and very healthy and should be producing beans OK shortly. You don't need a lot of bees around to pollinate them as hoverflies do the job just as well and they seem to be around in abundance.

Are those Painted Lady?

 

Silly me I forgot they are 'Tenderstar', a cross with French Beans so they are self fertile i.e. they don't need insects to pollinate them Looking back at previous years I've usually started picking them the third week of July. I wonder if the bees don't bother with this variety, I've never noticed insects on my French beans come to think of it.

 

I have heard that, many years ago, and do it but research says that there is no proof of its validity. No harm doing it anyway.

 

I seem to remember that there is one type of bee/wasp (not sure which) that can damage the flower as it gets the pollen by boring a hole in the bottom of the flower which can stop it from setting.

I'm having problems with blackfly and may have to resort to washing up liquid. rubbing them off the plants is getting too difficult now that the flowers have started.

 

@Jiffy Brilliant

Although we are watering ours regularly they are nowhere near as advanced as yours. Regular watering can't compare to having rain, which we haven't had for months! Probably no more than an hour of light rain in three months.

The local farmer seems happy now as he has just started harvesting his fields.

 

Maybe overfeeding John, can't say I have ever had that problem.

 

I need patience, I am sure we usually get inundated as the school holiday starts, we used to go away for a week and came home to find pods too ripe.