[PennyS]

Every single one of my dwarf beans has had its leaves completely eaten.   My plot is supposedly rabbit proofed but I know there's no such thing really!

Nothing else seems to be affected, as yet....

I do need to dib my leeks out but am wary in case they are going to get muched too.

Just wondering, is there anything else that would have completely stripped dwarf beans of all their leaves?  So far the climbing beans are OK, and they aren't far away, so I'm a bit bemused.

I think I'll install an additional barrier round the leeks when they go out, just in case.

[lazza]

I know for certain that my beans get badly munched by snails... the snail trails give it away

[Nobbie]

Yes,

snails or slugs, but they don't eat leeks in my experience so I wouldn't worry about them.

[Springlands]

The only problem that I have had with my leeks - is pigeons trying to pull them out of the ground. 

[8doubles]

The only problem that I have had with my leeks - is pigeons trying to pull them out of the ground. 

More likely blackbirds or crows after insects around the roots which pigeon are not (usually) interested in getting.

[PennyS]

Thanks everyone. I found it rather baffling that the dwarf beans were just sitting there, all stalk and no leaf, and stuff around them wasn't touched.

[Springlands]

The only problem that I have had with my leeks - is pigeons trying to pull them out of the ground. 

More likely blackbirds or crows after insects around the roots which pigeon are not (usually) interested in getting.

8doubles - I actually saw the pigeon trying to pull the leek out - fortunately it only had a go at a couple.

I am blaming the blackbirds however for pulling up part of my newly emerged row of radish and turnip grrrrrrr.

[8doubles]

The only problem that I have had with my leeks - is pigeons trying to pull them out of the ground. 

More likely blackbirds or crows after insects around the roots which pigeon are not (usually) interested in getting.

8doubles - I actually saw the pigeon trying to pull the leek out - fortunately it only had a go at a couple.

I am blaming the blackbirds however for pulling up part of my newly emerged row of radish and turnip grrrrrrr.

Perhaps pigeon are more intelligent than we think and pull out plants they don`t (usually) eat hoping we will plant something they like.
Young radish and turnip will do nicely!

[Springlands]

    I will plant some more especially for them 

[PennyS]

I think I found the answer.... when strimming round my fence last week I found a hole in the rabbit wire.  Have mended it and since then the leaves have grown back on all my beans, and no further evidence of chewing has appeared...  No idea how the hole got there, and it was quite a big hole.  Please don't tell me they can chew through.  Arrgh.

So I think it was a rabbit - or somethign else - getting in through the hole.

I hope the beans will go on and fruit.  They have plenty of flower buds appearing.  Bit of a setback though!

[Ropster]

if you are using chicken wire, then in my experience they will get through it eventualy

[Rich72]

I put chicken wire around the fence in my garden to keep the rabbits out as I have a German Shepherd Dog who really doesnt like 4 legged intruders in her garden. After a couple of weeks I noticed an ever growing hole in the wire so I sat and watched one evening. First thing to come through was a very big rat which was promptly bombarded by stones until it found its way back out. Next were 2 young rabbits which saw me and left straight away. So I had concrete boards put down. This seems to stop all comers. Which is a shame as I like rabbits but wouldnt want them being ripped apart by my dog so stopping them was the lesser of 2 evils.

[Salmo]

Slugs do eat leeks when they are first planted out. Either at ground level or down in the dibbed holes.

[viettaclark]

My dwarf beans have been stripped by slugs and snails but (like the pattypans) have grown new leaves and are manically flowering.
Plants have self-survival tactics and they need to flower!
In past years, before netting, I was amazed at how the psb and kale re-grew after being decimated by caterpillars!

[PennyS]

Oh blimey don't say I have to reinforce the chicken wire with something else!  I buried this lot so it took a while to do.

I suppose worst case, I could wrap another layer on top, not burying the second layer?  That should at least make it more tricky for Thumper and his friends...

I'll keep an eye.  Just dibbed out a load of leeks and don't want them nibbled!