"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...

I also think that it sounds like you have something eating your carrot
seedlings, most likely at night. Slugs have been mentioned. (Some
areas their shelled cousins, snails might be the culprits). I'll throw
in earwigs as another.

We definitely DO have a lot of earwigs. Would they eat the seedlings even
before they emerge, though? This is what is so mystifying--that most of the
seeds don't even seem to be sprouting at all. (As opposed to, say, my
cucumbers, which sprout wonderfully but are nibbled down within a few days
by bugs.)

These are pests whose populations can vary a lot from year to year,
depending on rainfall and temperatures.

Many of my seedlings seem to be eaten this year. Hopefully, next year might
have a lower population. Or maybe the praying mantises will start taking
over soon.
--S.