Something is eating my tomatoes

[dprimm]

Ok, WHAT would be eating only my ready to be picked tomatoes? The area is fenced off (I double checked) (anti-rabbit fencing over knee high) and had another one eaten today. Previous 2 were half eaten (literally, one half was eaten). Today's was everything but the white core of the fruit was eaten. One was eaten while still over 12 inches off the ground, attached to the vine. The others were found on the ground.

Squirrels did not bother them at the last house. Coons? Never seen scat for them (or a single one) around here -- even though I would expect them in the woods behind us. Grasshoppers? Those buggers have suddenly popped up around here.

Hard to make marinara is something eats everything before we get it.

Thank you

 

[bacon#1]

Tomato Catipillar. Devastated my tomato plants a few years ago.

 

[raptrbreth]

The F'n squirrels eat them here. If I did not live in city limits...

 

[Leadeye]

Ok, WHAT would be eating only my ready to be picked tomatoes? The area is fenced off (I double checked) (anti-rabbit fencing over knee high) and had another one eaten today. Previous 2 were half eaten (literally, one half was eaten). Today's was everything but the white core of the fruit was eaten. One was eaten while still over 12 inches off the ground, attached to the vine. The others were found on the ground.

Squirrels did not bother them at the last house. Coons? Never seen scat for them (or a single one) around here -- even though I would expect them in the woods behind us. Grasshoppers? Those buggers have suddenly popped up around here.

Hard to make marinara is something eats everything before we get it.

Thank you

Raccoons. Check to see if the vines look pulled down, and they will climb any fence.

 

[IndyDave1776]

One time this happened to my mom's tomatoes and the culprit turned out to be the cat.

 

[Knight Rider]

I vote for whistle pigs. They climb, dig, swim, eat any veggie they can find and are the primary reason the Framers created the 2nd amendment.

 

[scott delaney]

Neighbors

 

[atvdave]

Do you have deer around you? My sister-in-law lives in the city and deer still make there way to her tomatoes.

Take some irish spring soap and hang it near your plants. If you have deer it will keep them away, they don't like the smell.

 

[nbunga]

Tomato worms.

Tomato Hornworms: How to Identify and Get Rid of Garden Pests | The Old Farmer's Almanac

 

[mom45]

If there are no footprints/hoof prints, I vote for the tomato hornworm too. If it is, you will see black poop clumps on the leaves. Is the culprit stripping leaves off of the plants too?? They will strip the plants and eat the tomatoes.

 

[gunworks321]

My vote is whistle pig. Terrible problem until I took control and eliminated them one by one. They actually dug their own grave in the bank adjacent to the garden. They would go down the row and sample every one until a choice one was found and then eat half of it. Look for teeth marks on the damaged ones, two above and two below.

 

[d.kaufman]

If its tomato horned worm you'll definitely know by leaves being completely gone on branches of plant. I had, i say had cause hes dead now, same problem this year and it was a squirrel this time. No issues since his demise..lol

 

[patience0830]

Could be crows too.

 

[bwframe]

If they are eaten from below, it's likely ether a chipmunk or terrapin turtle. They both like tomatoes a lot and are readily known to eat the bottom half of one and move on to the next.

Worms can't eat that much at a time. You'll see signs of them with small bites and droppings.

I guess it could be squirrels, but the only ones I've ever found in the garden were digging or burying nuts. I've had deer eat them on very dry years, it's not dry this year here.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I can tell you what its not; my kids. I can account for them. They are too busy eating all of mine, so I feel your pain.

 

[Hookeye]

Cooler temp.............go out with a light and check for hornworms about now. Take a frosty beverage too.
Bit of a sissy, I used a paper towel to pluck them off last yr. Got most of them within 3 days (nights).
By the end of the week I had gotten them all.
But you gotta look pretty hard. At night it's easier because they will not be hiding. Under a leaf they are pretty tough to spot in the daylight.
Had 6 very good plants last yr.
Did lose a few to some critter chewing on the bottom.
Not cat or chuck, do have a chipmunk nest nearby.
Also have a fast neighbor cat.
Chippy hasn't been seen for some time.

 

[JimH]

We had a possum eating ours.Wife got him last week with 10/22,no problems since.

 

[SAILORGOLF46]

Squirrels take bites out of mine, sometimes eat half of one. I now pick them when they are pink and let them finish ripening in the house.

 

[Snapdragon]

Squirrels got mine for the first few years. I started putting a cage of chicken wire around them. I just took 24" chicken wire and bent it into a tube about 24" in diameter and put one around each plant. It doesn't support the plants enough, but it keeps the squirrels out.

 

[yetti462]

Turtles eat mine.