Help! somthing is eating my tomatoes?

Question

tomatoes are carried off then discarded after being nibbled on, very annoying, none of the leaves are eaten, so i assume its rabbits or turtles or something, what is it? and how do i keep these animals out? without hurting them!

the tomatoes are still green and small when attacked, i live in the country, in missouri, but my yard is fenced, the garden bed is raised, and mulched. i have bought merrigolds today and put them around the plants, i also have cucomber plants right next to them, i also purchased some garlic to roast!! i really hope this works, it is so annoying to have all my hard work squashed by vermin!! thanks!

Answer 1

Fencing: If you have rabbits or skunks, encircle the garden with an 18" high wire fence. Bury your fence about 8" below ground as well to deter them from digging beneath. For gophers and squirrels - who like to burrow and eat the roots of vegetables (although ground squirrels will eat just about anything) - bury your fence about a foot below the surface. You’ll also need to bury chicken wire under all the beds and around trees and shrubs. For deer, install fencing at least seven feet high, since they supposedly cannot jump any higher than this unless they have an uphill advantage.

Scarecrows: Owl or snake scarecrows tend to work only temporarily, since animals ultimately catch on when the scarecrow doesn’t move.

Netting: You can drape netting over your garden until the plants are fairly large, well-established, and can handle the occasional nibble from mammals. Some netting can injure birds who get tangled in it, so make sure your deterrents won’t harm other creatures. For example, if you kill insects with poison, you may also kill the butterflies and birds who eat the insects.

Plants: You can also plant vegetation that you know certain animals will not like to eat. Lavender and sage tend to keep squirrels away. And deer don’t care for such plants as calendulas, irises, lavender, basil, marigolds, and fleabane. Check gardening books or call your local extension office for a specific listing of plants that thrive in your area.

Hope this helps!
~Tia~
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Answer 2

First, it sounds like your tomato plants are not planted deep enough. They should be down to the first true leaves so they can develope roots along the whole length. Makes for much better plants and harvest.
Anyway, the netting use to keep bird away from fruit on fruit trees is available where ever there's garden supplies. Cheap and effective. You can stake it arond the plant or the whole garden or just loosely surround your plant and hold down with rocks. This has been my salvation as it finally keeps the neighbors cats out of the garden where nothing else (including cayenne, stakes ,thorns etc.) did.

Answer 3

Beyond what others have said, deer could also be doing this. If it is deer, and 18" fence around the garden won't do a thing. You have some good suggestions above about fencing and mesh and other deterants. Inspect the area around and in the garden for footprints or other clues (e.g. droppings) to see if you can figure out what kind of animal is hauling off your tomatoes; that will help you figure out a detterant.

Answer 4

Believe it or not, marigold flowers drive away critters. They hate the smell....so surround your tomatoes with marigolds. Not only is it attractive, it's environmentally safe. Also, it's probably a terapin, racoon, or deer, so the Marigolds work well. I live in Missouri, and for years the "old timers" had these healthy gardens with Marigolds planted around the perimeter. I finally asked why, and was told it keeps out the critters. It may not work on deer. I have found it is usually terapins or even rabbits, but the Marigolds work.

Answer 5

Oh isn't that the most annoying thing. You will need to get some chicken wire and put it around your garden. You might also try some of that spray or powder from the pet store that keeps dogs and cats away. Not sure it will work on wild animals but it is worth a try. Also try putting cut human hair on the ground around the plants. You can get some from the beauty shop.

Good luck!
G.G.

Answer 6

Buy a couple bulbs or Garlic. Roast em lightly in the oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees then seperate the cloves and scatter around the tomato vines. Great for getting rid of insects and small pests. Wont harm the enviroment or the pests themselves just keeps them away.

Answer 7

Sounds like rats to me. I had the same thing happen one year to my tomatoes. If you wait until right at dusk you can actually see them sneaking into the garden. If you live in the city you will see them walking on power lines. Also, if your area is experiencing a drought squirrels will do the same thing. None of the home remedies will work. Only a cat, a gun or poison will take them out.

Answer 8

Some kind of critter, no doubt, it depends on where you live,and are the tomatoes still green, or is it the ripe ones? Could be rabbits, raccons, possums! a wire fence around them might work.

Answer 9

i've heard moth balls. never done it though, as i don't like them!

planting cucumbers around the base of the plants/in the furrows also helps -- they have spiny leaves and vines. we use cucumbers in the corn plants to keep the deer out -- works pretty well, no chemicals and no harm to the deer.

you might also try a fine mesh fencing around the plants.

Answer 10

i have been picking the tomatos just as they turn the slightest bit red. around here the birds peck at a red tomato and ruin it.... pick the mostly green tomato and put it on a window sil inside and it will turn a nice red color and still have good flavor once it is red....
slice it thinly and put on breaed with mayo, sliced queso fresco, salt, and pepper, and fresh basil..... what a great sandwich