HelpfulGardener.com

We have started our own veggies indoors for years. We are in Vermont, so windows are definitely closed 24/7 this time of year. This year, for the first time, we are seeing a number of pepper seedlings (and some others, but mostly peppers) appear to have been bitten off, leaving only a 1" or so bare stem--and the stem is otherwise green and healthy looking. No signs of insects or other activity; we have no pets; there are no signs of wilt, damping off, or other diseases with which we are familiar. "No signs of a struggle", the inspector might say. Would much appreciate any suggestions as to what is happening and what to do. Thanks.

I hate to suggest it, but *mice* can be a hazard to indoor seedlings.
They do seem to like peppers -- I have heard horror stories of entire trays of seedlings obliterated.

Some of my seedlings are in the unheated garage where the mice come in to keep "warm" despite all our efforts, so I send our two kitties out/in to patrol and leave their scent as a deterrent every once in a while. The other day, they each caught one.

Mice? Really? Really! And this being an 1880's farmhouse, mice are not strangers. My wife suggested it could be mice when we first saw the problem. But I said "Nah, mice don't do that. Besides, they couldn't climb the metal tubes that make the plant stand." Then I saw your post, immediately suspecting she'd put you up to it. But we set two mousetraps last night in spite of the silliness, and caught a mouse in each one. So now that I know that the mice are involved in the plot to prove me wrong, I'll set traps each night until all of the co-conspirators are caught. Thanks for the tip!

Glad to help.
Good luck with your mouse hunt