[smallholder2010]

i spent ages growing my runner beans  , then as this weather came i thought id put them out.
came back next morning   there was no runner bean leves  just the stalks left.   said a few course words.  and looked for gaps for the rabbits . no gaps. !!!  so what has eten them ??
i did not have this problem last year . its not catapilas as they would have had to eaten 75 plants in 10 hours  unlikely i feel. plus eaten stalks  and they dont do that ..... im baffeled . any help plzzzz.

thanks in advanse

[noshed]

It will be slugs.

[smallholder2010]

do you think
i have never seen a slug in my alotment  and 70 odd plants in one night is alot to eat.  theres not a single bit of leaf left at all.   

thanks for replying 

[noshed]

They hide during the day, then they stroll out in the evening for a munch - you're lucky if they leave a little beany spike. Sow some more, there's plenty of time and think about slug pellets or some other method of defence.

[smallholder2010]

RIGHT THEN !!!!!!     salt it will be all around the base of them.    and maybe slug pellets as well

[8doubles]

If all the plants went in one night i would be looking for something larger than slugs, deer maybe ?

If you salt the ground nothing will grow................. but deer may enjoy it.

[pairofacres]

My money would be on rabbits or pigeons. The latter I get the impression aren't normally such an issue, but are worse than usual this year due to the harsh spring.

[smallholder2010]

yes dear is a good possiblity as we have munkjack deer seen a lot on the alotment yet i havent seen one all the years i been down there. never thought of that .  thats why there would be no holes as they would just jump over 3 foot  chicken wire.

[Nikkithefoot]

It is most likely to be deer, when (if) you ever get them to grow its very compelling when everything below 2ft or so is eaten and everything higher left behind.

I had deer in my garden one year, they ate the runners, beetroot leaves, but left the peas behind.

[pairofacres]

thats why there would be no holes as they would just jump over 3 foot  chicken wire.

Not sure where you are, but if you've had the same rain as we've had round here, Muntjac would normally leave fairly clear footprints around the area where they've been. We've got loads on our site. You never normally see them, but it's always clear when they've been on the plot.