What’s going on with my green beans?

[digitS']

There were two reason for me to stop using mulch. One was in the paths between beds and its failure to kill bindweed. That vine with rhizomes could easily travel under the mulch from one side of a 2' path to the other. Even crabgrass can usually accomplish this. The other was that I created a good environment for voles.

It was possible for me to carry off many bales of rain-damaged alfalfa hay from a nearby farm when I lived in the country and I did that, using it to make compost. I also tried growing potatoes under mulch after emergence of the plants. The voles damaged every tuber with the exception of only one in an area about 20' by 50' of potatoes.

Cats? Yes, I had two. They helped me kill the voles when I was picking up the mulch to harvest the potatoes. Too late to be of much benefit for that season's crop -- which I left on the ground to freeze & rot.

Voles show up these days, primarily in the tomato plants. I have flooded the burrows successfully with a slow trickle of water. The occupants have disappeared and the burrow left vacant. Often however, I haven't' known about the burrow until the neighborhood coyote shoves the plants aside and digs up the location. I assume he is successful and, so far, any damage to the sprawled tomato on those occasions has been minor. This year, there is evidence of vole damage to fruit in the melon patch. Where Are My Coyotes!

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

Thanks @Zeedman for your information and advices, what you described was exactly what happened here. This is also the first year that voles caused so much trouble and damage in my garden. I have to think it over before I transplanted anything - should I grow them in the ground or in the container, sigh.

I also ordered more traps. As you said, a few were missing and some were broken after use. I will try dried apricots tonight.

 

[flowerbug]

the all metal ones may cost more. and if they are worth as much you will be thoughtful about pinning them down with a small chain that animals can't break or chew through. i'm pretty sure most of the traps lost here are to the raccoons so the chain and pin have to be strong enough that they can pull out their paws without moving the trap. the smaller wooden mouse traps are inexpensive enough that if a few go missing i can accept that.

 

[Zeedman]

i'm pretty sure most of the traps lost here are to the raccoons

Yes, I guessed either raccoons or feral cats were responsible. Hmmm... Raccoons made a home for themselves in the attic of my small shed. Maybe I'll find some of my missing traps up there.

 

[digitS']

There were just a few ears of corn left in the garden and something pulled down and ate half of them last week.

Today, I find poop about 20' from the edge of the garden - second time this year. First time, it was full of seeds. They were probably cherry seeds altho the service berries were ripe about that time. Every year, they show up and raid ~ usually ~ the neighbor's corn. His garden is now history. I wish that they would dig up the voles but I guess that's too much to ask. Anyway, they didn't find any more sweetcorn this week. Ha!

Yes, I have put mouse traps in a garden and they disappeared but that was in a different location than presently. Not only were coyotes to be seen there but I once saw a pine martin and a couple of badgers on other occasions (my out-in-the-sticks home ). The vole damage after the traps disappeared ceased. No mulch was in the garden at that time.

Steve