What's eating my bean plant leaves? (tomatoes, vegetables, hostas, squirrel)
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The beans themselves remain untouched, but some monster is eating the leaves! We just discovered this yesterday and took a pic of an isolated leaf.
Any help will be appreciated!
My guess and I am no expert, but from experience I would say, Japanese Beetles. They usually just eat the leaves, not the beans. some years when our temps get really high they devour everything in sight, this year, here, because our summer has been so mild, I have only seen one. I ended his life.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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There is also a smaller green bean beetle, that comes out in the afternoons mainly and eat on the bottom of the leaves. They tend to do holes in the middle of the leaves, not the edges, and prefer the tender new leaves near the top of the plant. Yours are most likely Japanese Beetles as nmnita said, and they prefer early morning. Go out then and pick them off, and smash. I don't like using pesticides on vegetables, but you can try a soap spray. Whatever you do it will require repeated treatment since new ones will keep hatching.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nonchalance
Thanks, everyone. These seem to be bigger leaves, from the bottom of the plant. They almost look like a person took a bite from them.
If on the bottom I'd first suspect slugs/snails, but you would see their shiny trails on the ground. The munch pattern looks like what the rabbits do to our Hostas, but smaller.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nonchalance
No slug trails around.
Come to think of it, the hostas are getting eaten, too. And we definitely have wild rabbits in the neighborhood.
How do I protect my tomatoes from the little monsters? Without resorting to rabbit stew?
Tomato leaves are toxic to rabbits, so they would probably not eat tomatoes unless they have fallen onto the ground. Squirrels and rats, on the other hand, will just remove the tomatoes from the vine and eat the. If you find them being eaten, build a chicken-wire enclosure around them. Most of the repellant products don't work.
Definitely not Japanese beetles, they eat and leave the veins showing. But for those with slug problems , here's an easy solution that works. Put your used egg shells around your plants that they are attacking, it will eliminate 99% of them.
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