What's eating my french bean seedlings?

Hello,
I'd love some help with this mystery. I grew french beans seedlings in the greenhouse, then a week ago when they seemed healthy and growing well I planted them outside in their wigwams. A few days later this is what I saw. This was the first one damaged, now they're all being eaten. Yesterday I dug them up, rinsed roots & leaves in water and replanted them in clean compost in pots in the greenhouse. I've searched online but can't find any identification or advice. Hope someone can help!

 

Looks like slugs and snails.

 

I would say slugs or snails, except that I can see some slug pellets in the picture. Have you been putting them down from the start? I put them down at dusk, as birds love to eat them otherwise. I don’t think washing the roots will help this problem, so leave them where they are.

 

The new slug pellets are not very effective in my experience, difficult to say if they work or not as they tell us the slugs crawl away and die elsewhere, presumably after they have caused the damage.
Best way is to look with a torch after dark.

 

Thanks I didn't think it could be slugs & snails as i have put down new organic slug & snail repellent. Also the stems were quite tall, so leaves quite high up from the soil? Also don't slugs & snails eat the whole leaf - whatever is eating them has left the leaf structure - leaving a lacy look that I've not seen before - I have seen plenty of slug and snail damage, so i was sure this was something else. But I examined the soil/roots/leaves with a magnifying glass & couldn't see anything. If I leave them in the ground they will all be eaten before they can grow big enough to survive slug/snail damage. So I will leave them in the greenhouse till they're a bit bigger & as suggested, when I do put them back (in the new bed I built with new compost!) I'll go out at night with a torch on slug patrol.

 

We have lots of tiny snails around here, including the big ones.
Often the tiny ones just leave the leaf veins behind.

 

Loss of a leaf will not be terminal, loss of all leaves may be; has the growing point been damaged ?;if so thats likely to be the end. Plenty of time to resow, some folk would plant out under a plastic pop bottle, suitably cut, to give some initial protection.

 

It is a big problem for us, slugs the main cause which is why I like to plant out when 30-40cm tall. They still get eaten a little, but quickly shake it off. I like @infradig idea of the plastic bottle it might just work. Perhaps in your case @Kate Whittle there is a secondary problem - woodlice. I noticed on one of the flower plants being decimated that they were joining in with the slugs for dinner!

 

Thanks I have used that plastic bottle solution before, good reminder. & yes ok I guess tiny snails. There are loads of woodlice around too - could be? I thought the bean seedlings were big enough to go out, but maybe that was a mistake. We live and learn. Thanks everyone, so good to get some advice, I was at my wits end.

 

The small slugs and snails often do far more damage than the larger ones.
They can easily scale taller plants too, and slug pellets are pretty useless in my experience.
I can only grow peas or mange tout in pots - and the plants have to be grown on to a good size before going out.
Everything with soft new growth gets eaten as soon as it appears here, whether it's an edible plant or an ornamental.

 

Thanks fairygirl, yes the left over bean seedlings that I put in a container are fine! Thanks for your help.

 

Hopefully you'll get a harvest @Kate Whittle !
It's very frustrating when that happens though. Gardening eh?

 

French beans recovering in the greenhouse, but I daren't put them out yet. Snails (?) are eating the runner beans I planted in the same place. I've been out with a torch 10.30pm, then 6am, 5am, and 4am, failed to spot any snails at all.

Now I just found something eating my kale seedlings and a fairly well established pepper plant in the greenhouse! I thought it was snails, I could see their trail in the soil (they are in containers, up off the floor) but then I found a tiny caterpillar, see photos , can anyone identify it? I've looked online but can't find anything it looks like?