I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm terrible at germinating green beans. I'm in the Willamette Valley and it's been a cool start of the summer but still, I feel it shouldn't be this hard. My beans either don't come up at all or this happens:



I have chicken wire over my seeds this year, I was thinking maybe birds are doing this. I don't think I have a ton of slugs either so what may be causing this?

Thanks,
Andrew
Corvallis, OR

It looks like locust/grasshopper damage to me but I have seen cutworms do similar damage as well, and it's well possible they are the cause you don't see any more seedlings. Cutworms got there as soon as they sprouted.

Last year I used some "sacrificial" seedlings watered with a systemic insecticide to get rid of what I later discovered to be locusts. Found them still clinging to the stems.
You may also want to consider applying aluminum foil collars to the seedlings to protect them from cutworms. It never hurts giving extra protection.

Thanks for the tips. Probably worms then, I never see Grasshoppers or locuts here.

Andrew

Pill bugs in my area.

Pill bugs down here too.
I've had to pull the organic material (mulch) back away from the seedlings... and then using my hands, sweep the bugs up and feed to the chickens... they love them!

I have to start my beans in gallon size nursery pots, and set them out after they produce their first compound leaves.

The neat thing about starting them in pots? The spacing is right when I set them out!