Bugs eating my green beans

[Eggy]

This is the 2nd year I've planted a garden, and the second year that my green beans keep getting eaten! :cry

Does anybody know what kind of bug would do this? Everything else is growing awesome this year. Strawberries are growing, tomatos, green peppers, peas, basil, sunflowers - it's all thriving but in the middle of my garden is a huge open area because as soon as my green bean plants begin to sprout up, something comes along and chews the leaves. I saw on sprout today and the leaves had itty-bitty holes all over them, so I'm assuming bug and not rabbit. My neighbor had the same problem last summer with her garden. :shrug

Ironically, I only wanted to grow a garden because I love fresh green beans in the summer - so it's pretty sad when the one thing I wanted the garden for is the ONE thing I can't get to grow.

Any ideas? I just went out over the weekend and planted a ton more seeds (I'm going to have LOTS of thinning to do if they do grow) :giggle I think I planted about 50 seeds where I would normally plant 20. heh. I just want my beans to grow!

[canadiyank]

I'm not sure what it is...probably could be a variety of things. I've had that happen, too, and I usually do like you do, plant extras and then hopefully some will make it through! You might spread diacatemous (sp?) earth around and see if that helps. :think

[Firebird Rising]

Sure it's not birds? We have had a heck of a time with birds eating our leaves on most of our garden. So we went and bought a bunch of $1 pinwheels from Target to put in the areas that they're getting to. I'm no help if it's actually bugs, though, we haven't had that problem yet.

Jen D.

[Hermana Linda]

I did a little googling for you and found these:

www.garden.org/foodguide/browse/veggie/beans_care/456
http://eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/eap59.htm
www.gardenandhearth.com/OrganicVegetableGarden/Bean-Pests.htm
http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/bean.htm
http://ipm.ncsu.edu/ag295/html/bean_pea_key.htm

[Macky]

When I see itty bitty holes in my veggie leaves, my first thought is flea beetles. I hate those buggers. I think we get them because we're surrounded by farmland. I never heard them mentioned by city gardeners around here. Personally, I haven't done anything about them because the beans always survive and do well. Tbh, I'd like to pulverize all of 'em. Thanks for your links, Linda. Two things from the second one I didn't know: interplant with cabbage family crops and grow near shade-giving crops (flea beetles don't like shade). Gotta remember those for next year