Rodent Problem

I ran into a problem growing pole beans last year. Every time the vines would get a few leaves, some critter would eat them, leaving a bare stalk that would struggle to produce another leaf, which would then be eaten, etc. I suspected chipmunks to be the culprits, as I have rabbit fencing and there were no deer tracks. Voles could have done the damage as well. I never caught the offenders so I can't say exactly who they were!

Thanks to the rodent problem, the season was a bust as far as beans were concerned. I had to pick beans at a friend's house to freeze for the winter -- the paltry harvest I managed was barely enough for a few side dishes.

This year, in an effort to thwart the wily critters, I made cages from hardware cloth that are about 14" deep and 6" in diameter, and buried them about 7" deep in case the varmint is a digger. So far, so good! I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and I'll post an update at harvest time.