What's Eating Our Tomatoes?`

[Bird]

Being back in town with no garden, I just take care of the lawn. But my wife wanted some tomatoes and she had a couple of big old flower pots, so I got a big bag of potting soil, a couple of wire cages, and some little Big Boy tomato plants at Lowe's this Spring.

The first, and second, times I saw tomatoes that had been partially eaten, I sprayed the plants with insecticide, even though we've seen no insects on the plants. But now every time a tomato just starts to turn pink, something eats it. I noticed a tennis ball sized pink tomato yesterday that had been half eaten, and this morning, it's almost entirely gone. I just cannot imagine what is eating them, but since they're in pots, we moved them this morning to a location where we can see them from a window.

 

[ToadHill]

I've had crows eat mine in years past. But they don't usually eat more that a hole out of them before they go on to the next one.

 

[TYMinColton]

Being back in town with no garden, I just take care of the lawn. But my wife wanted some tomatoes and she had a couple of big old flower pots, so I got a big bag of potting soil, a couple of wire cages, and some little Big Boy tomato plants at Lowe's this Spring.

The first, and second, times I saw tomatoes that had been partially eaten, I sprayed the plants with insecticide, even though we've seen no insects on the plants. But now every time a tomato just starts to turn pink, something eats it. I noticed a tennis ball sized pink tomato yesterday that had been half eaten, and this morning, it's almost entirely gone. I just cannot imagine what is eating them, but since they're in pots, we moved them this morning to a location where we can see them from a window.

In the Pacific NW Slugs are a major tomato predator. They generally sneak in at night, eat a half-a-tomato (especially low-hanging fruit), and then disappear into the night. You might be too dry for slugs in TX, but it's a possibility.

 

[Bird]

I've had birds damage fruit and vegetables, and as ToadHill said, they usually peck a hole in one, then go to another, whereas, whatever is eating our tomatoes, will eat half of one then come back later to finish that same tomato.

I've not seen any sign of slugs around here, and all the tomatoes are at least 2 feet or more off the ground (actually the pots are sitting on a concrete drive).

While I can't be positive, it seems that it's all happening at night, and I've not seen ANY animals in the yard except for a squirrel and he's always on the other side of the house on the live oak tree or on the ground under a birdfeeder hanging from that tree. And of course I've only seen the squirrel in the daytime.

 

[indytim]

We were thinking of installing a couple of bat houses, to keep the mosquitoes down. My next door neighbor said that she had considered the same idea but abandoned it because the bats would eat her tomatoes.

Just passing the info along -- I have not verified whether bats are known tomato-eaters or not, but it's something to think about.

 

[MMagis]

What does the eaten part look like? Can you make out tooth marks? I’ve had groundhogs eat them before, and I wouldn’t put it past a possum.

 

[KentT]

Bird,

If they're down at ground level, a box turtle (or terrapin) will eat them when they start ripening. Won't bother green ones...

But, you say they're up off the ground. Wonder if an armadillo or possum (thinking night-time critters here) could be knocking them off and eating them...

 

[Bird]

Bats? That's a possibility I hadn't thought of. None of the tomatoes have been lower than 2' off the concrete. In fact, the tomato that was eaten the last two nights was 32" off the concrete. And I figure whatever ate it had to be very light weight because, even though the tomato was in the middle of the plant, the plant shows no damage. So at least for the time being, bats would seem to be the most likely suspects.

 

[wushaw]

That would be one big bat to be be able to eat that much. It could be several.

 

[ToadHill]

Do you trust your neighbor?

 

[Bird]

I left the tiny piece of the tomato that something ate the last two days, or nights, and I just happened to be sitting out in the shade an hour or so ago, when along came a mockingbird and went straight to that little piece of tomato. I know we used to have mockingbirds and blue jays that severely damaged fruit crops (such as our plums, pears, peaches, and apples), but I never heard of either one eating tomatoes before.

When I was a kid, everyone, including us, shot every mockingbird and blue jay we could because they were so destructive, but now they're protected by law.

 

[6thgpSF]

Bird,believe bats n.of the Mexico-Texas border eat insects ,no veggies. Might think about mice and their larger breathen rats. Also might be tomato hornworm. russ

 

[tugboat-2]

Bird, We actually encourage our BAT population, (they reside behind the shutters), because they control our mosquitoes. Lots of tomatoes every year and bats never touch 'em. Crows, yes, but one bite then move to the next. When I had Muskovey Ducks, they would destroy the tomatoes, but they are great for controlling barn flies. Sounds like your "perp" could be that Mockingbird. A late-night "stake-out" could prove it,..(are they nightbirds)? Also, now that our Ontario Government has stocked the area with wild turkeys, we are on the look-out to see what "garden" damage they "may" or may not do?
Good Luck to you Bird,
. . . Mike, (aka: tug)

 

[Bird]

Mike, the mockingbirds are not night birds, but they ARE the state bird of Texas. I was assuming the tomatoes were being eaten at night because I'd never seen anything go near the plants until today, and with other fruit, I was accustomed to mockingbirds pecking one hole in fruit then moving to the next fruit, never knew of them to eat the whole thing or to come back to one they'd pecked a hole in.

 

[tugboat-2]

Well OK Bird, . . sorry I can't offer anything further, (at the moment anyway). I guess these darned crows are our particular curse at the moment, . .bad enough they damage the fruit, but one hole and move on just makes you mad! Can you tie a few plastic bags together and run a small fan to blow, wave and snap the bags to scare your perp? Sorry, that's the best I can offer for now, (for a small plantation) . . .but as always, Best of Luck!!
. . . Mike

 

[Jimbrown]

Bird,believe bats n.of the Mexico-Texas border eat insects ,no veggies. Might think about mice and their larger breathen rats. Also might be tomato hornworm. russ

The bats here in Az must not have gotten the word. We sure got lots of fruit bats. They will suck a large hummingbird feeder dry in about 30 minutes.

And I just about gave up on tomatoes because of the mocking birds. Those suckers wait untill they just start to turn pink and then eatem.

 

[Bird]

And I just about gave up on tomatoes because of the mocking birds. Those suckers wait untill they just start to turn pink and then eatem.

Jim, that now appears to be exactly what's happening here. I don't know why I never had mockingbirds bother my tomatoes out in the country. Maybe it was because I had too much other fruit for them to eat out there.

And Mike, one year we had a real problem with crows; not with the tomatoes, but the crows dug up and ate every kernel of corn from my first planting, then got about half of the second planting. I kept chasing them off, even firing a shotgun, but they kept coming back until I finally shot and killed one and hung it on the fence by the garden. I'd heard that would keep them away and it certainly worked for me.

 

[tugboat-2]

Hey,...looks like Tombstone's got a good sized vote for the Mockingbird also, we don't have 'em up here, but it could be your answer Bird?

Thanks for the "Dead-Crow-Hangin-On-A-Fence" trick, we'll try that one soon when they start to ripen eh? (Had to toss in the "eh", just to authenticate my true Canuck status).

Take care eh,
. . Mike

 

[Egon]

Have you considered putting some netting over the plants?

 

[Bird]

Have you considered putting some netting over the plants?

Egon, my wife asked me about that because she remembers one year in the country when we had a locust (grasshopper) infestation and a neighbor, as well as my wife's brother, put netting over their tomatoes (the grasshoppers ate through the netting). But, in my opinion, for tomato plants in a couple of flower pots, it wouldn't be worth it. But it may happen yet.