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Growing Tomatoes

something is eating my tomatoes!!

16 years ago

Went out this evening and at least 5 large tomatoes, including one HUGE beefsteak were eaten in half. Pulled from the vine, sitting on the ground. Each was half eaten. The way they were eaten was strange. They were nawed so they were almost flat. Each almost had the appearance of being cut with a knife. I also found a numerous half bitten cherry tomatoes. I live in a very suburban area, not the country. I do have a very large woodchuck living under my shed out back. On his hind legs, he must be 3' tall. He's been out back for at least 7 years. I didn't think they lived that long; but this guy is fat and very healthy looking. Could it be him eating my tomatoes? He hasn't bothered with them all this time, why now?

What else could it be? My little dog goes nuts around the garden every morning sniffing, so he knows something is there as well. Suggestions?

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Comments (5)

reginacw
16 years ago
For stupid animals like skunks and woodchucks we had good luck with talk radio. We set a radio to an all-talk 24hr station, wrapped it well against weather, and ran an extension cord into the garden.

Stupid skunks thought there were people there and let my veggies be.

If it's raccoons or something smarter I don't know if that would work.
cearab
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, newsbreak. I have a feral cat that I feed nightly (I know, I know, but I feel bad for the poor thing so I can't let her starve). I fed her about 10:15. My backstairs have a motion detector, which went off around 10:45: after she had left. I went to the door to see what was out there, and I saw something running to the back of the yard from the steps. All I saw was a striped tail, so I can't say if it was a cat or a racoon. But the plates outside the door were licked clean,so I am thinking it was a ra coon. Rabies killed all the racoons in our area several years ago, so seeing one is a real novelty here. I saw a big healthy one about a year ago in my yard. So, I am now thinking it might be the racoon who has discovered my tomato plants. As I said, the woodchuck is very skittish and has really never bothered coming into the garden,which is right up by the house.
So, if it is a racoon, what to do? I welcome all help and suggestions. But, not killing suggestions!!
TIA
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Squirrels are crafty, tomatoe loving rodents. Once you start to do battle with them it is like a game. The chipmunk will do the same damge but does'nt "seem" to be as vengeful as the squirreL. I have battled squirrels before. They will literally ride your tallest plants to the ground and carry off the fruit to thier nests.......... watched it happen while chaseing them around w/ a whiffle ball bat years ago. Lost over 100 fruits in a matter of days while the garden was unattended. The ONLY remedy once they have tasted tomatoe flesh is eradication(see Bill Murray in the movie Caddyshack) or keeping them out of the garden. and . Your enclosure cannot have any entry points . I have seen them climb under bird netting and furiously claw at fabric to gain entry. Any mercy you extend to them will be exploited.
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Mice or chipmunks? I know that's what been nibbling mine. And they don't come back to the same tomato......they just keep picking a new one to ruin! Fortunately, I planted alot, so there's enough for all of us. Sorry you're having trouble. With that much of each tomato gone, makes me think its a chipmunk. Do you have any big holes around the garden? They dig quite a few of them.
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noinwi
16 years ago
You should put your feral cat on a schedule, that is, if she comes at a certain time each night, bring the dish in after she's had her fill. Don't leave any food outside or you'll end up with a family of raccoons and/or a feral cat colony. You could also trap her, have her spayed and bring her into the fold...the best option, IMHO.
reginacw
16 years ago
Trap the raccoon?

I hate raccoons. They wait until the tomatoes are almost ripe and then lay waste to my garden. Hate them.

I am very lucky to be now living in a place where there don't seem to be very many of them.
cearab
Original Author
16 years ago
The feral has her ear notched, so I am assuming somebody trapped her last summer and had her spayed. She is too wild even for me to touch after 3 years. She does come when I call her. I feed her year round. I've tried getting her on an earlier schedule, but other cats (who are owned but outside all the time), just eat her food.
I hope it's not a racoon...

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