Nibbled beetroot and turnip

Has anyone got any advice on protecting beetroot and turnip ? I've just been to dig up the last of my beetroot to pickle and have probably lost half of it to serious nibbling - Not sure if this was mice or birds, looked like teeth marks but hard to tell ! Checked the turnip and it too has been nibbled !
My plot is slightly overgrown now (blame it on the new addition due in Feb that's giving me a bad back !) will this have contributed ? This is my 3rd year of beetroot growing and I've never had a problem !

Any advice gratefully received as I was hoping for lots of pots of beetroot chutney !

Thanks :wink:

 

Fretters

If you can see teeth marks, then it's most likely mice or rats (as opposed to slugs or snails). But while I've known rodents have a go at stored swedes and potatoes, I've not heard of them going for beetroot. You could set traps (inside flower pots laying on their sides next to the beetroots) or cover your beetroots with netting and see if that deters the rodents.

 

.

Either one or more rats have devastated two rows of baby beets I was about to harvest.

They also done my neighbours plot as well, only the roots taken, left the tops.

Anyway, retribution is on it's way, another plot holder, a pro pest controller has put down some poison,under cover of course.

Will wait for developments!
.