At least squirrels would laugh at a 2-foot chicken wire fence. Never seen squirrels go after foliage, though. Bugs don't remove leaves entirely. Birds are a possibility, especially if nesting. Where are you?

I am in Indiana. We had a problem with house finches making nests in our front doorway last year, and they started to do that again this spring. So we put some deterrents up to keep them from putting nests there...now I'm wondering if they just moved to our backyard, or the top of our roof or something. I have seen birds flying around but have never seen them in the garden.

do you have deer?

Don't underestimate the tenaciousness of a hungry rabbit. In 2015 we were having our beans taken by rabbits. so I put up a 3 foot rabbit guard fence (smaller mesh at bottom, larger at top.) Still our beans were being eaten. One day I warden out to check on the garden and noticed a rabbit inside the fence. Curious as to how he got in (so that I could reinforce the area, I walked over to the beans and the rabbit ran to the other end and CLIMBED the wire to get out. I kid you not. Last year the deer started on our tomatoes and peppers, chewing out the tops numerous times until the plants just gave up.

Your pictures look more like deer damage than rabbit. Rabbits will eat only the leaves (except young beans) leaving the stems.

The picture of the beans shows the unevenness of germination--plants in full leaf and others just emerging from the soil. I'll bet that if you go take a look now, you'll see others that have poked through the soil and others that are straightening up.

Happy gardening.

We are seeing similar damage to peppers, beans and lettuce. Possible culprits insects (never seen) or birds (Most likely quail) Last year I actually watched two quail graze to the ground, a patch of spinach at the cotyledon stage.

Plants are in three foot high raised beds. We have never seen rabbit within a mile. Sporadically a ground squirrel. Occasionally a neighbors cat.

Thank you! We don't have any deer in our neighborhood, and even if we did our yard is enclosed by a fence. I hadn't thought about the possibility that the rabbits could be climbing the fence...hmmm...

I'm glad to hear that you think the beans may just be germinating at different paces! Hopefully in a few days more leaves will show up.

Also...I just noticed this damage on one of my zucchini leaves today (the other leaves had already been stripped off which is why you can see a chopped stem). This looks more like bugs, right? I'm thinking I have a variety of pests in my garden. :-/

Oh and I think I forgot to mention that we are in central Indiana.

My money is on rabbits. I had issues with them getting past my chicken wire fence by pushing against the bottom of the wire. It would flex in slightly and they were able to get under. Make sure your fence is anchored every few feet and it should stop them.

The sharp looking edges on that zuke leaf could be the bite of a bird beak, best guess.

And stop spraying Sevin, for God's sake, when you don't have a bug problem at all.