Whats eating my tomatoes

[givetoget]

Something started eating my tomatoes 2 weeks ago. These are baseball size fruit and some are more than half gone. At first I thought mice or something small but they couldnt eat that much of a tomatoe without being the size of a house cat. I dont see any critters out there besides rabbits and a squirrel here and there. Garden is fenced in and there are no holes dug under that can be found. Anybody with ideas or same issues.

Thanks,

[Dotch]

The squirrel you mentioned might be a possible culprit. I've had no trouble with them eating tomatoes that I recall however I have seen them eat up to 1/2 of a large Fireside apple. One can only wonder what kind of bowel movements were involved after that. The bunnies here are pretty dumb so I don't give them too much credit when it comes to figuring out a decent fence. Typically if they get inside the fence they can't remember how to get back out. Striped gophers or chipmunks also come to mind. They may not eat that much in a sitting but if they keep coming back over the course of a few days they could inflict that kind of damage. Usually I don't notice it until I pick the fruit and discover half of it on the backside is missing.

Not certain what kind of fencing you have but if it's chicken wire like mine, there are places where things could crawl under or climb over w/o needing to dig a hole. Raccoons and opossums are good climbers so wouldn't rule them out especially if the tomatoes are getting ripe. They don't seem to discriminate much with what they eat or when either. Also with chicken wire, some of the small to medium size gophers have been able to gain access through it. The ones I don't dispatch first from the grassy knoll if I see them that is.

[Nainoa]

Something started eating my tomatoes 2 weeks ago. These are baseball size fruit and some are more than half gone. At first I thought mice or something small but they couldnt eat that much of a tomatoe without being the size of a house cat. I dont see any critters out there besides rabbits and a squirrel here and there. Garden is fenced in and there are no holes dug under that can be found. Anybody with ideas or same issues.

Thanks,

Just a random guess without having seen your fence or how it's made... But I'm gonna guess Chipmunks.

Chippys have been known in my garden this time of year to tear into tomatoes. They tend to prefer cherry to slicer. But they're opportunistic.

[Bear55]

Chippys and gophers have been all over my tomatos, no big deal I planted too many anyway. Share the wealth I guess.

[givetoget]

Thanks for the replys.

I have lived here 5 yrs and only seen one chippy, but I told my neighbor I seen it and he poisoned it. Have not seen one since. I have a red squirrel that hangs around once in a while. Ill have to put a trail cam in there see if i can catch the culprit. Thanks again everyone.

[vern]

If you've seen squirrels then that's probably the culprit. They can climb or jump over fencing & chicken wire without a problem. I have rabbits, chipmunks, red squirrels & gray squirrels. In my garden it's the gray squirrels that I've seen eating the tomatoes. They take a few bites out of the low-hanging fruit as soon as they turn red. I started pulling them a little early so they could ripen inside.

[IlliniWalli]

i have been wondering what might be eating mine, too.

have had about half a dozen eaten about half still on the vine about 4 to 6 inches off the ground.

buggers always seem to target the nicest fat red tomaters, but i have plenty for everybody.

[eurolarva]

It might not be a squirrel. I have never seen a squirrel in my yard and have had the same problem with the first tier of tomatoes. The bottoms have been eaten. I have seen some kind of varmint that has small legs and is dark brown about the size of a gerbil when I mow my yard. I don't know what they are but I am betting they are what is eating the tomato. Could be a shrew or a vole.

[seasock]

Quite possibly it is a bigfoot, they will eat small portions so as not to tip anyone off that they really exist.

[givetoget]

Well, I think I figured it out, a red squirrel. I went out early one morning this weekend and there he was sneaking around the outside of the garden. He didnt stick around long when he spotted me.Maybe he wont be back now.