Tomatoes
by
LInda
+39
What is munching on my Early girl tomatoes? I have no rabbits or squirrels that come in my garden because I have a fence and 2 big dogs .. Could a insect do this ? a big mouthed insect? lol
42 answers
-
could be a mouse or chipmunk...these can often squeeze through fences and are pretty stealthy when it comes to dogs etc. Mice are mostly nocturnal so unless Fido is on guard duty at 3 am, and he can spot very small things in the dark, you will not see them.
KMS Woodworks
on Jul 22, 2013
-
Mine would pecked to pieces. By Mockingbirds. How I stopped this. Was by hanging Tin foil from the cage
Darlene
on Jul 22, 2013
-
KMS I didn't think of a chipmunk I had one last year that would hang around the pond ...I don't use chemicals except maybe dish soap every once in a while. I just came in looking for tomato hornworm but they are hard to find ! 8 tomatoes in about 2 days and only the ones that are riping Ugh !!! so what to do with a chipmunk ? s-ya no mockingbirds here in Littleton :) but I have those black birds but this is at night I am home all day and the dogs are outside a lot hmmm
LInda
on Jul 22, 2013
-
Tomato worms? They seem to manage to take a bite or two out of several tomatoes so maybe if several have damage on the same plant look for those.
Debbie Polson
on Jul 22, 2013
-
I had birds eating all mine . looks the same
Mina Black
on Jul 22, 2013
-
possible crickets, snails
Dean Peiffer
on Jul 23, 2013
-
I also have birds eating mine. I have tied tin cans across my garden to help.
Sherrie
on Jul 23, 2013
-
You know those big roaches we have in the South? The big ones that fly? I left some tomatoes on the table on my porch. I went out later (after dark) to get them and discovered the tomatoes were being munched on. Holes all over them. I know it was roaches since they scattered when I turned on the light. I didn't normally have food on my porch and hadn't seen them. Called the exterminator!!!
Dianne Johnson
on Jul 23, 2013
-
Georgia has some big bugs and snakes I remember living in Fort Benning Georgia Ekkkk !!
LInda
on Jul 23, 2013
-
I have seen my chickens get some and that is what it looks like so I think it is birds, but it could be any of those things mentioned above.
Caley's Culinaries
on Jul 23, 2013
-
One of the sneakiest pests is the turtle. They just take a bite or two. They sample everything. They bite cantelopes and watermelons down low under the line of sight. If you find a turtle he will need a new area since they will return quickly, for a turtle.
Myrna Engle
on Jul 23, 2013
-
No turtles or chickens but I did move the bird feeder to the front of the house and we will see :) Thanks :)
LInda
on Jul 23, 2013
-
green tomato worms
Pjm202982
on Jul 23, 2013
-
@LInda we had this problem last year, tomats not ripe yet here so may have it again. Believe it or not in our case the culprits for us were chipmunks. They even got at our apples in the tree. I actually saw them pulling a tomato to their den LOL. A fence doesn't keep them out.
Gail Salminen
on Jul 23, 2013
-
To keep birds away you can also hang CD's. The extremely shiny side works wonders.
Gloria
on Jul 24, 2013
-
You know those big halloween spiders that drop down when it senses motion? They work great to keep birds and squirrels away if you can find somewhere to hang it close by. It senses their motion, then quickly drops, and the critters scatter.
Leslie D
on Jul 24, 2013
-
When I worked at a vet, we had a couple of dogs who loved to eat tomatoes! One white dog came in with her fur all orangey- she had gotten into the garden and chomped every tomato she could reach. Could your dogs be hungry for veggies?
Gretchen
on Jul 24, 2013
-
We have had chipmunks eat only the red tomatoes, so we have been picking them while they are sort of pink.
Tonie O'Rourke
on Jul 24, 2013
-
Racoons or possums?
Wilma Fendrick
on Jul 24, 2013
-
I'm thinking birds....a fence won't keep them out & they can just fly away from the dogs....if the dogs bother them at all. Moving the feeder around front won't help since they already know where the tomatoes are. Try covering the plants/row with bird netting.
Judy
on Jul 24, 2013
-
Turtles or birds?
Sherry Phillips
on Jul 24, 2013
-
I would bet on birds (Crows or Jays) but it could be squirrels, rabbits, possums, or raccoons..squirrels especially can find ways around fencing, and wait until the dog is distracted barking at the mailman...
James Austin
on Jul 24, 2013
-
Look for hornworm tomato bugs. They can be hard to locate because they are normally underneath the leaves and blend with the foliage, but you can normally see their droppings before you see them (little black pellets). Last year every time I had a tomato growing and be almost ripe, I'd go out the next day it is would be gone. They are about the size of your pinkie and very gross looking, but their horn is only ornamental, so they won't hurt you. Unless, of course, your finger looks like a tomato. ;) http://www.almanac.com/content/tomato-hornworms
Stacey @ 23 White Terrace
on Jul 24, 2013
-
slugs love tomatoes
Irish53
on Jul 24, 2013
-
The only thing we have had to eat our like that was a Tarpon (similar to a turtle). The are very sneaky and devour tomatoes.
Debbie Stanley
on Jul 24, 2013
-
Caught a land turtle red handed eating mine once.....notice it's always the very lowest ones eaten?
Eyesdebo
on Jul 24, 2013
-
i agree with sherry we have a bite that looks like that on our tomatoes and they are turtles
Janice Wilmoth
on Jul 24, 2013
-
chipmunks get in and damage tomatoes or squirrels. My Christmas cactus has been eaten by squirrels recently.
Janice Weiss
on Jul 24, 2013
-
Looks like bird damage to me. Try setting up some stakes and attach strips of Mylar balloons or old CDs. Any thing that reflects or flutters has a tendency to keep birds away.
Catherine Smith
on Jul 24, 2013
-
Field mice maybe??
Frances
on Jul 25, 2013
-
I would say birds. That is what was getting mine and I went and bought netting to go over them and my strawberries. So far so good!
Melissa Gutilla
on Jul 25, 2013
-
@LInda It could be slugs or snails? I'm not sure though, it would have to be REALLY BIG ones, or many of them. If it happened overnight, slugs & snails are nocturnal. Place some cardboard or plastic around them in the evening, then in the morning lift the plastic or board up & if there are a lot of slughs then you'll know that is the problem. A GREAT way to stop them from eating everything (they'll eat right through carrots, too) is sprinkle broken/crushed eggshells around the base of the plant (around the cage, too) then make sure none of the leaves touch the ground so they can't climb up from anywhere. That should stop them, they don't like to crawl over the sharp eggshells. If you can get rid of them from the garden, you can also create a border around the perimiter with wood ashes -- not many creatures will go through them, as with water (and slime) will create lye & it burns their skin (mice, too, apparently, possibly other critters as well). Good luck saving your tomatoes!
Erin G
on Jul 26, 2013
-
Thanks everyone !! I discovered it was the crows last week when I had the feeders out they came by the dozens. I have since remove the feeder and they have not come back I did the eggshells and cd"s we will see I have new tomatoes ripening and I will know in a few days if it worked ..you all are great!!!
LInda
on Jul 27, 2013
-
Tomato worms! they are about 3 inch long, and fat do to all there gorging on your plants. look really close on the stems of your plants they blend in really good! and hand pick them off.
Adele Meagor
on Jul 27, 2013
-
We had a tomato I thought would be ready to pick today when I checked yesterday, but this morning it was 1/3 eaten. I'm thinking raccoons, since they are in the neighborhood and it happened during the night. I've seen green tomato worms eat the stems, leaves and green tomatoes, but not ripe ones. Planting basil and marigolds around your tomatoes helps keep them away ...
Connie Mar
on Jul 27, 2013
-
I'm betting it was slugs. They have done the same to my strawberries.
Cindy Hughes
on Jul 27, 2013
-
Paint Christmas ornaments (round glass or plastic balls) bright red. The birds will peck them and get nothing. When they see the red tomatoes they will leave them alone after the red ball experience.
Peggyphilpot@gmailcom.
on Jul 27, 2013
-
I had the same problem one year .... I didn't prune my tomato plants and they fell over and as soon as they got ripe they were eaten... found out it was moles and voles once they are up high enough no problem.... there is also a natural repellent on the market.... a mixture of skunk urine and canine pepper spray around plants will keep the little critters at bay with out killing or putting nasty stuff in the ground water base. I use no fertilizer at all in my garden nor do I add mulch
Warren Searfoss
on Jul 28, 2013
-
Just an update! The dang birds got 2 more of my strawberries through the netting now I'm thinking about propping it up some instead of strung across the raised bed.
Melissa Gutilla
on Jul 28, 2013
-
@Melissa Gutilla It was the black crows I removed the bird feeder and they have not come back if you can make a loop house with PVC pipe and the netting over it that might help :)
LInda
on Jul 29, 2013
-
I have watched young Cardinals eating my tomatoes.
Barbara Heun-Ploch
on Aug 12, 2013
-
Exactly pesky birds that's why I am covering mine with a net called deer X found it at tractor supply
Sarah Johnson
on May 28, 2014
Sign Up to Answer
