Debbiesunshine, I did rabbit and hare rehab here is SD and I got them from every part of SD. So it could very likely be rabbits. Wittle brown cottontails...ahhhh so cute! But love gardens. Beatrix Potter filled us in on that.... I used to have people call me that wanted me to get rid of the bunnies for them. (Not allowed to do that.) It is not that simple. Not like trapping a feral cat. I know it sounds ridiculous but I often *thought* of telling them to put something like hay or Romaine lettuce that they love to eat in their yard! Or better yet just, let the wild dandelions grow(you can yank the tops off when they get fluffy) the foliage is their fav. When there is construction around the area they end up having to eat in the yards because their home is gone. Also SD has had a break for the last three or four years from Coyotes so the little critters have made a comeback. The coyotes are back though (lost an indoor cat that got out at the beginning of July :-( and I am in the city. Have you noticed all the missing cat signs lately?) So, if it's cottontails, chicken wire or equivalent will help tremendously. They have green colored at HD. Small gauge the young ones are small. What area are you in? Allison

We found the culprit today. It was a rat. Yesterday I pulled out the remainder of my pik-up-stix morning glory after the new leaf at the very tip top of the obelisk was removed on Friday night. Today my dh noticed a hosta leaf laying behind the acuba. This is on the way to the dry, empty, protected space under our stairs. He looked underneath and found much leaf litter, and rat feces. When I returned home this afternoon I looked under the step, and there she was, sniffing and nibbling. The hosta leaf was the only sign of anything amiss in our small garden. No other leaves laying around, no rat poop anywhere. We pulled out our recycling station and found a few pieces there, she ran behind it to get back to her hidey-hole. Upon inspection we see that she has now started nibbling the hosta and hydrangea leaves. She is only active at night, we have never seen her during the day. The live trap has now been activated and baited with peanut butter. I plan on releasing her in the gulley a block from our house.

Morz8: I went out with a flashlight and did find a caterpillar on the top of the soil! Only one... but maybe cutworms don't eat every night? It was also brown, so perhaps I missed it's buddies. I'll check again tomorrow night. I guess it's also possible I have multiple pests doing damage, if it does turn out to be only one. Maifleur: The poop was a dark brown color. I don't think it's turtles - the bed is raised 18 inches, so it seems like that would present a challenge for them. If rabbits have left your carrots alone then I guess there went my comfy theory that I had ruled out rabbits at least :). I'll have to see if I can find some way that they could be getting in the yard once it's light out again. Thank you, thank you both for your suggestions!!

It could be snails or slugs. Do grasshoppers live in your area? They leave rounded bite marks, larger than you would think for an insect. Here is a link that might be useful: What's Growing On?