What eats pumpkins?

[tallyho8]

I planted a pumpkin patch for the first time this year. My field is loaded with squirrels and rabbits and has a few coon, possum and armadillos. I was wondering which critters I have to protect my pumpkins from.

 

[txdon]

Watch out for Peter Peter, he's a pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well.

(Couldn't resist, )

 

[Tractorbeam]

Watch out for Peter Peter, he's a pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her, he put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well.

(Couldn't resist, )

HA! Would that be ol' Peter Cottontail, hoppin' down the bunny trail?

But seriously, I do know that squirrels will chew all over a pumpkin. I'm guessing they do it more for water when it's dry rather than for a food source.

 

[Jimbrown]

DEER!

 

[randy41]

DEER!

I agree with that one. Birds are a big problem because a couple of pecks and the appearance of your pumpkin is ruined. And cucumber beetles do the same.

 

[bigshovel]

I watch my neighbor throw 100 tons plus of unsold pumpkins to his holstiens that go unsold. The cows will eat them but they must be broken open first.

 

[tallyho8]

I'm lucky I don't have any deer in my area. The cajuns around here finished them off a long time ago. Guess I will put out a water trough to keep the squirrels away from them.

So it looks like my only two other enemies are cucumber beetles and Peter Peter?

 

[mc faulkner]

I have had mice eat my pumpkins - chew the skin and first layer of soft pulp

 

[ultrarunner]

My Australian Shepard will ravage squash and pumpkin given the chance...

 

[RobJ]

I've had some squarrels take a bit out ov a couple of my young ones. I have a giant pumpkin that has been doing great until the heat came up the last couple weeks. Maybe I'm to far south. They are just sort of dying out.

I hope your keep going.

 

[tallyho8]

My Australian Shepard will ravage squash and pumpkin given the chance...

I'm glad you live 2000 miles from me.

 

[RollTideRam]

I love Pumpkin pie. JC

 

[LoneCowboy]

Pigs (hogs) LOVE pumpkins (squash of any type)
and in fact pumpkin is actually good for them.

 

[CurlyDave]

I watch my neighbor throw 100 tons plus of unsold pumpkins to his holstiens that go unsold. The cows will eat them but they must be broken open first.

I used to live near quite a few pumpkin farms.

Cows will eat them, but they have very little enthusiasm for the task. They would pen the cows in with the unsold pumpkins and essentially starve them until they ate the pumpkins. They would break them themselves by stepping on them.

 

[Egon]

It's just gotta be; "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater"