Like most garden vegetables, though, beans are not foolproof. An infestation of bean leaf beetles, Ceratoma trifucata, can decimate any type of bean crop so early intervention is essential.

Keep a close watch for wireworms, grubs, armyworms, seedcorn maggots, black cutworms, possibly slugs and bean leaf beetles. This time of year, most problematic pests are in the larvae phase ...