What's eating my edamame?

Edamame soybeans are targeted by Mexican bean beetle and Japanese beetle, which can skeletonize foliage, and by stink bugs and bean leaf beetles that damage pods. Deer readily browse soybean plants. In wet soils, slugs attack seedlings. Row covers until flowering and hand-picking beetles are the most reliable tactics.

Skeletonized leaves with only veins remaining; beetles feed in groups on upper canopy. Hand-pick into soapy water early morning. Neem oil as a feeding deterrent. Apply milky spore to soil for grub control. Do not use lure traps near the plot.

Round holes chewed in leaves; beetles also feed on pods, scarring the surface and allowing disease entry. Row covers during early growth. Hand-pick adults. Pyrethrin spray for heavy infestations. Rotate soybeans away from last year's site.

Punctured, deformed pods; seeds fail to fill; stay-green syndrome in some cases. Hand-pick with gloves. Kaolin clay on pods. Encourage parasitic wasp Trissolcus japonicus. Remove weedy harboring areas around the garden perimeter.

Entire plants browsed down to stubs; soybean is a preferred deer food in late summer. Tall perimeter fencing (1.8 m+). Commercial deer repellent sprays reapplied after rain. Interplant with strongly scented herbs as a minor deterrent.