Jean, you did a great job of describing your situation -- except for one thing. What is wrong? I deduce that the "something which is getting into your yard" is eating your newly emerging beans. Is that right? If so, I suspect that some wildlife, most likely birds but maybe chipmunks or voles, are the culprits.

Provide a little more info. Maybe we can figure this out. You show a lot of good sense in your first bean growing.

Jim

The match stick thing is very good... for cutworms. If you have a cutworm problem, then the plants will be nicked off at the base, when you go out to look in the morning. Generally this won't be like half a row, etc. but rather a plant here and there. If you do the match stick thing, you might save some money by using twigs or even pine needles, rather than actual match sticks.

Like Jim, I'd suspect a rodent or bird if you have more widespread damage. Since you say you live in the city/burb, I would wonder about squirrels, evil creatures that they can be. Chipmunks are even worse.

Yes, do describe the damage!

George
Tahlequah, OK

If the tops are being eaten off the young beans, leaving the bare stems sticking up, you may have rabbits.

The solution is a tight-mesh fence (the baby bunnies can squeeze through the 2x4-inch openings on the common, green wire, dog fencing).

Okay all. Thank you all so appreciate responses. BUT NO one answered the part about the upside cut out bottom CUPS.
Can I use them at least temporaraily (spelling)
I know its all of the above PESTS. I found one seed gone yesterday and in its place was a buried BLACK walnut. OHHHHHH Everytime I walk outside those dang robins ,etc are at it too. esp my berry patch backyard enclosure.
Its war now. Hate those blankety blan k squirrels. Course non gardeners think they are so dang CUTE. they are just bushy tailed RATS. LOL. Course I was not laughing yesterday
Naw cant do a tight mesh fence. Remember this is my front yard. I know neighbor hate the look of it. Plus I planted prob soon will be 30 or 40 seeds. Lots have emerged.
Jean

Jean, I don't know about the cups. I think cups are supposed to protect against cutworms, (but they may protect against birds as well?). But are you sure the Robins aren't after worms/slugs in your mulch?

It's possible that more than one pest is at work on your beans. Have you gone out at dusk, or after dark w/flash light, and checked for slugs? Slugs can devour many, many bean plants with no sign during daylight hours that they're around. During the day, slugs like it wet, + dark, cool shade. With regular rains, mulch and shade cloth provide ideal living quarters for slugs. (This year, I've killed hundreds in home-made traps and by hand-picking).

A bucket with a few inches of water and a few drops of dish detergent is great for bringing along on slug hunts. For picking up slugs, I use two pieces of wood; half-inch wide is good. I find many such wood pieces in my wood mulch.

If your budget allowed, a nice picket fence (lined on the inside with chicken wire or other material to keep bunnies out) could make your front-yard vegetable garden look beautiful (to appease the neighbor). Some climbing flowering vines - or roses - could be planted outside the fence to climb and spill over the fence. Or runner beans with their spectacular flowers - Insuk's Wang Kong, for example - could be planted inside the fence to run up the fence. With runners, you'd have snap and shelly beans as well as flowers, plus seeds for the following year's runners. Peas could also be planted inside the fence and use fence for support.

Ppod that sounds wonderful. Heck with diamonds and furs etc.
Diamonds etc are not this Gals best friends. Heck I would lose them digging in the wonderful dirt. plus diamonds dont look too good on wrinkled hands with broken gardening , arthritis fingernails. LOL
I will take a nice picket fence. especially with delicious beans and peas. Wow Im drooling now.
Id better get out there with those cups. Yeah I know about slugs. Ive got traps etc from years ago. Been gardening mostly flower for over 30 plus years
Im serious
Oh those Robins etc are after my small bounty of plums, peaches, apples, raspberries. in my small yard. Im not sharing either.
Happy Gardening and eatin
Jean

I've capped bean seedlngs in the past with clear 2-liter (or smaller) soda bottles. Cut the bottom off, remove the bottle cape, and place over the planted or just germinated seedling, pushing the bottom edge maybe 1/4 inch into the soil. Make sure no slugs or caterpillars, etc. are being capped inside with the plant, of course. I usually remove the bottles when the leaves are so big they are pressed up against the side, out of concern that this could cause the leaves to rot or mildew.

For two years now this has kept most of my bean plants safe from slugs, worms, birds and so on. I don't think it would stop a cat or rabbit (not a problem where I garden), but if the bottle is on top of them, these animals might not notice there is a tasty seedling inside. Not sure.

The only problem s getting enough bottles. It's not a problem for me since I only planted maybe 15-20 plants, and I saved up the bottles from a nasty cola habit. I am sure that other things would work too- maybe some big 16-20 clear cups or something?

If you used the chicken wire short fencing, you could cover it and your plants with green nylon net from the fabric store. I've found it in widths up to 72 inches and its not that expensive. I've used it before to protect sprouting corn seeds and bean seeds from the birds. The chicken wire under it will keep the bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks out. It not only protects, it camoflages (sp?) whatever is under it so it blends in with the yard. Its also good for covering hot pepper plants. Birds love the hot peppers because they aid their digestion system. Oh yeah, you can also wash the nylon net at the end of the season and save it for next year. Don't know anything about using the upside down cups, but I think I'd try fastening a little netting over the top of them, too. Birds are sneaky creatures.

Yeah if something is digging up your seeds you planted I would suspect chipmunks or rats. I had the same problem. I kept replanting the seeds they dug. I also took a long black rubber bungy strap and removed the metal hooks, rolled it up to look like a snake and left it in the middle of my garden. My seeds stopped getting dug up after that.