What is eating my tomatoes?

[steph]

I have tomatoes in pots in my front yard, and I have discovered an animal was taking the tomatoes. I found one in the front yard with bite marks. The tomato had a diameter of about 2 inches. What is taking them?

[tomatogarden]

It could sometimes be birds too, I'll try to use something to cover over the tomatoes partially, newspaper works great although it looks pretty ugly... :)

[PinkGardener]

Rabbits ate mine last year! It was so frustrating because there wasn't much I could do :mad:

[davidbkeegan]

are there stray dogs or cats in your neighborhood. I caught a cat eating some of my veggies

[alp12ha]

I think Chipmunk and Rabbit are only two who eat tomato.

[nofeargardener]

if I were you, I'd lay down some cayenne pepper around your tomato plants. If you get some on the tomatoes, that's fine... just be sure to wash before you eat! You can also try dropping a few moth balls around the perimeter of your garden bed. This "should" help keep the critters away. Although, I did once have a chipmunk who wouldn't take a hint...no matter how much hot pepper I put down. Maybe he had sinus issues!

Happy Gardening!

[pharmerphil]

Cayenne pepper does work Mike, so does black pepper, just plain black ground pepper.
Re-applied after rains of course, and also fine on the plants, will do no harm.
Also, check out your sporting goods section at your local BIG BOX store (walmart, etc.) for Predator Urine, we buy fox and bobcat urine to place around the yard to repel moles and GOPHERS (Minnesota is the "Gopher State")
Now we do nothing elaborate, we purchase ladies tampons, put a few drops of the urine on them and place around the perimeter...for moles/gophers we place the tampon in the tunnels they make under ground..Works very well..Cost..about 4 bucks most places

[azizitehram]

I think Chipmunk and Rabbit are only there who eat tomato.

[rooty]

Ive woken to find three deer feasting on my veggies! could be anybody! haha

[pharmerphil]

it could be any foraging animal that did it, but since they were carried off, I'd look for a larger animal, possibly a groundhog...they will eat tomatoes at a drop of a dime if they find them

[PinkGardener]

I have woken up to find raccoons munching away on my tomatoes. So I think that it can be a number of animals. I suggest spreading pepper around. Be liberal with it won't do any harm to the plants :)

[pharmerphil]

I have woken up to find raccoons munching away on my tomatoes. So I think that it can be a number of animals. I suggest spreading pepper around. Be liberal with it won't do any harm to the plants :)exactly Pink, besides squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs... I have had chickens, birds, even my CAT who loves to lounge on the mulch in the sun..although he only Played with, scratched, then tasted:p
I reckon the veggies just taste and taste too good to NOT be tempted:)