Runner Beans have been dug up

[binley100]

Did they leave the whole plant including the roots with the seed attached ? If it wasn't then it would be mice or squirrels after the seeds. Rabbits would have just nipped off the shoot and left the roots in the ground, in which case they may regrow. (mine did last year)

[womble]

Rabbits would have just nipped off the shoot and left the roots in the ground, in which case they may regrow. (mine did last year)

Not necessarily, rabbits will eat roots, that's why you see rabbit diggings all over the place.

[binley100]

I know a chap who planted a couple of cabbages in his herb bed. The rabbits come and crop the leaves, then they let them grow up again and then come back to crop them again. Sort of cut and come again food for them.

[womble]

I didn't say they weren't clever

[binley100]

Too flamin' clever p'haps they need to get their own lottie

[tish]

runners

Just discovered my entire row (except one plant ) of runner beans has vanished. Was googling for an answer and found this site. They were only at the 2leaf stage.Where each plant was, there is a shallow scoop in the soil,but no remains of plants around. And no hint of slugs.But......the night before a SOMETHING had dug its way out of my garden,uprooting several asparagus plants and a tomato plant.The gap under the fence is big enough for a fox .... or was it a badger? Do badgers eat runner beans plants?

[Flummery]

My money would be on squirrels. They dug up someone's broad beans at out allotments a couple of years back. Just left half the row. The first half, as you said, neatly removed! The perp was seen doing it which is why it only did half!

[Sanjo]

Let's face it, with the amount of answers on here it could be a lot of different things. For my pennyworth, if you used fish blood and bonemeal at planting time and there is a virtually resident fox then that's your answer. It happened to me with plants last year when I used the FBB. If it was the two legged variety of vermin then surely they would have trashed other plots? Cats usually leave their calling card and squirrels would have torn the plants apart (they do in my garden anyway)
Replace the plants, water well, and NET!! I now have had to net almost everything, what with the foxes, squirrels and birds they were having a high old time.
I am currently away from home for around two weeks looking after my son in law and grandchildren and have left my husband in charge so I not only have all the above to worry about but also whether he has remembered all my instructions!

[hamsterqueen]

I had a vixen and her cubs living under the shed a few years back, kept finding old gardening gloves and dog toys (pinched from a neighbour I presume) buried in my raised beds

[Bramble_killer]

It's squirrels. It's always squirrels. I have now taken to netting/chicken wire everything.

However, I have not yet taken to actually murdering them yet

[pdblake]

I found a whole row of runners dug up the other week, then found a rather guilty looking chicken close by about to do the same to some peas