What eats beetroot?

[womble]

Not the leaves, but the root.

I've left alot of mine and concentrated on the beans and stuff like that over summer.
I wanted to eat them about now, but when I went to pull a couple up they were all eaten around the top, huge chunks out of them.
Nothing left of a couple of them and not much from the rest.

Any ideas what's eaten them? I was thinking rats or mice, or maybe slugs, but it seems alot of damage for slugs.

[jacob]

Assuming it wasn't me(!) I'd say slugs. That said, I've found that beetroot doesn't get nibbled much.

[shirlthegirl43]

Not me - I only like it pickled

[northepaul]

I had the same problem with, what looked like, prize winning beetroot - when pulled up, there was huge gouges out of them - it was only the larger ones though.

[chris]

I've had the same, and have seen a mouse around (grr) - put it down to the fact my neighbour feeds the birds, and the bed where the beetroot is in, is that side of my garden (along side hers).. Bit annoying, but only one (which happened to be the largest ) of mine was damaged..

Slugs seem to nibble the leaves of mine, but not the roots.

[taff]

rats ate ours in the polytunnel.

[Polly Fouracre]

Mice! The little beggars.

[weekendwellies]

I thought mine was nibbled by slugs.

[northepaul]

There were no signs of the ground being disturbed though...so how did the mice get to the roots??

[Two_Sheds]

There were no signs of the ground being disturbed though...so how did the mice get to the roots??

It was the top (shoulder) of the beet wasn't it?
My money is on meeces too

[womble]

Looks like rats or mice then, thanks everyone.

There was a dead mouse by the veg patch the other day and I stepped on it this morning. Guts everywhere.
The cat must have got at least one.

[Snadger]

If you spot red mouse dropping it will certainly be those meeces!

[northepaul]

It was the top (shoulder) of the beet wasn't it?
My money is on meeces too

Nope it was underground, only seen when dug up

[Snadger]

Nope it was underground, only seen when dug up

Must have been the lesser known mole meeces then!(Otherwise known as slugs, I reckon!)

[loopylou]

Hi, I found a lot of woodlice in some of my beetroot, so I assumed they could be the culprits of all the holes! Especially the ones I had left in the ground the longest.

Sorry if that not much help

Emma