Do you have cutworms? Rabbits?

The bed is 3 feet off the ground, I don't see how a rabbit would climb it. I've also never seen a rabbit.

In the fall, when I was able to catch the caterpillars, someone told me they were cutworms. I put down DE and it fixed the problem. I don't think they were cutworms, though, as I've heard cutworms literally cut the seedling off at the base. These guys were up the backs of the leaves, and eating them from the outer leaves downward. But whatever they were, the DE stopped them.

This time, same damage, but the DE is NOT stopping them. Why would the DE not stop something crawling?? I laid down so much of that stuff it's ridiculous. At some point, i focused it around my surviving seedlings - still, they are all gone.

Try Bt

What's BT? And will it help when my seedlings are literally just 2 tiny leaves? I thought you couldn't use chemical stuff that early.

Sounds like you may have to make you a plastic screen cover if nothing else works. I have gotten to where I bake my egg shells and crush them over my seedlings in hopes that will stop the devouring of my seedlings.

Bacillus thurengiensis. It'll help with any kind of caterpillar eating anything.

Makes sure you get the right type of bt. For caterpillars it is btk.

Now what can we do,, after all your carrits are wiped out ? sorry.
= For insects living in the bed, you can only bet on chemicals. But for foreign stuff there are many options: Somebody suggested PLASTIC cover. But there is a better solution, that is called French tulle, sold in fabric stores. It comes in differen mesh size and color. I have used in the past and even now. It can be used to deter rabbits. rats, slugs, snails, even flie. But it does not shade and water can go through it. The only thing is that you have to get involves. It require some work. But then it is better than losing your carrots...LOL

Thanks everyone! You've given me hope that "my carrots will rise again"!

Seysonn, you summed up my thoughts well - since I don't know exactly what it is, I need solutions for both soil and air attacks :). Will BT hit whatever's living in the bed? And can I treat the bed before I replant my seeds, or do I wait until I have seedlings?

And I had just read about tulle, in fact it's on my list to get this weekend!

This critter might be what ate your carrot foliage, it's the catapillar stage of the Monarch butterfly. When touched they'll put off a highly repulsive oder. They love carrots and parsley.

http://prairierosesgarden.blogspot.com/2009/08/august-veggie-garden-update.html

That would have to be a swallowtail that eats carrots and parsley. Monarchs stick to milkweed. Still a pretty butterfly. I've never seen them on carrots, but then they seem to like fennel and dill even better than parsley in my garden.

My first suspects for any disappearing seedlings are always slugs and crickets. Crickets might not succumb to DE before eating all the seedlings, maybe.

A lot of pests only come out at night - cutworms, for example. That could be why you don't see them.

Definitely the best approach is to identify the pest first.

Thank you all, this is the most help I've gotten on brainstorming this solution. I have gone out at night, but haven't seen anything. I will try again. But with all the seedlings gone, will the buggers at suspect even come out?

Bit late with a comment - but this is a perennial problem/request. Went out tonight approximately 2300hrs with my heads-torch. Not much to see even on close scrutiny. Brushed all the carrots not already eaten - a very occasional earwig. Made up a new Pyrethrum solution and started to spray. Could not believe the thousands of very small earwigs that started to rush out from the carrots. Went to the beans and zucchini seedlings - nothing to see. Spray- and there they were. Last year all the carrot seedlings were being eaten off at ground level by cutworms. Some sites say earwigs do more good than harm. Now you know! t

Another way to find tomato worms is to get a black light flashlight & look at night. It’s amazing how easy it is to find them. Don’t know if it might work on other worms.