All through the season, until both crops are exhausted, I repeat my search almost daily; but I can never discover a single pod infested, nor even a single weevil perching on leaf or flower.
Certainly the inspection has not been at fault.

The household is warned to respect certain rows of beans which I have reserved for myself.

It is also requested to keep a look-out for eggs on all the pods gathered.

I myself examine with a magnifying-glass all the haricots coming from my own or from neighbouring gardens before handing them over to the housewife to be shelled.

All my trouble is wasted: there is not an egg to be seen.
To these experiments in the open air I add others performed under glass.
I place, in some tall, narrow bottles, fresh haricot pods hanging from their stems; some green, others mottled with crimson, and containing seeds not far from mature.