Runner bean leaves eaten
 

My runner bean leaves are getting chewed down to a stub - fairly sure it's not slugs as the plants are in individual hosta haloes which have always worked well before plus no slime trails. Wondered if it was wood pigeons but still happened when I put netting over. No caterpillars on the undersides of the leaves. Is anyone else getting this? (My broad bean leaves have holes in too but not as badly.)

Runner bean leaves eaten
 

Blenny said:
My runner bean leaves are getting chewed down to a stub - fairly sure
it's not slugs as the plants are in individual hosta haloes which have
always worked well before plus no slime trails. Wondered if it was wood
pigeons but still happened when I put netting over. No caterpillars on
the undersides of the leaves. Is anyone else getting this? (My broad
bean leaves have holes in too but not as badly.)

Dig around one of the fresh stubs and look for dark caterpillars curled
into a "C" (cutworms) or possibly brown scarab-type beetles (Asiatic garden
beetle). Both of these feed at night and bury themselves during the day.
And yes, there are cutworms that climb up plants and drop down at night.

If that fails, go out late at night for a snap inspection to see what is
visiting your garden.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

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