Re: What's eating my tomatoes?
gardenchat@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: What's eating my tomatoes?
  • From: &* <d*@comcast.net>
  • Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:56:32 -0400
Gray Squirrel feeding patterns vary from year to year. Chipmunks usually eat fruit that is low to the ground. Squirrels and birds take it higher up. Are you seeing "v" shaped marks, perfectly round holes, or something else?
----- Original Message ----- From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] What's eating my tomatoes?



We have loads of squirrels, including a few black ones, but they have
never been a problem any way but stealing from the bird-feeder and
planting acorns and  hickory nuts in my flower beds.
APL

In a message dated 8/15/2011 2:27:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
dp2413@comcast.net writes:

That's pretty typical of squirrels, but it's hard to tell without looking
at
the tooth marks/bitten area. Got a camera?

d
----- Original Message ----- From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 1:36 PM
Subject: [CHAT] What's eating my tomatoes?



Because of uncooperative weather conditions and other situations my
vegetable garden got off to a very late start this year.  However, now
that
my tomatoes have set fruit, something is eating the green tomatoes.
The vegetable garden is fenced.For several years I lost so much to
woodchucks, but we did sink fence wire a couple of feet below the
ground, and the fence is 10 feet high, so we are not having as much
trouble with the chucks.

I have been able to harvest one batch of beans
and another is in full flower now. For the past three years they had been 
eaten to the ground at that point.  Those things haven't been eaten, but
something is taking the green tomatoes when they get about two or three
inches across.

First, I would find a half-eaten one on the ground beside
the plant.  That was infuriating.  Now, as more fruits are developing, I
am
finding that ones still on  the plant have bites taken out of them.
Really
now!  Usually not too much of the fruit is eaten - just enough to spoil
it.

What is doing this?  I believe it is chipmunks, which are small enough to
get through the gap at the gate, and who have holes all over the place,
even in the garden.  We are totally overrun with them.

I have tried using Park's "Shake Away" which is fox urine and said to
deter small pests, but it doesn't seem to work.  I think they just don't
know what a fox is.
Any ideas about how to control them?  Or what else could be getting
at my tomatoes?
Auralie


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