Dog Community

tomato thief

Posted : 7/14/2006 1:48:57 PM

I am growing tomatoes in my backyard. This is the 2nd time that I have seen some red ones, but not fully ripe, so I leave them on the plant. Then, the next day when I go to check on them, they are gone! These are small, cherry tomatoes and we have a privacy fence so I am sure it is not neighbors taking them. Could squirrels or other animals be taking them? What can I do to prevent it?

I love tomatoes and want to eat them... I get excited some are ripe and then they disappear before I get them[

] !

Paula Diffenbaugh

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:24:14 PM

Could be squirrels but I also read on another thread about ppls dogs eating them also. Has your pup aquired a taste for mators? LOL

Would an animal only pick the ripe ones??? sounds like 2-legged mator thief

Kara

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:24:32 PM

look at the second post on this blog and I think you'll find your culprit!! [:-]

http://thegardensgift.blogspot.com/archives/2005_06_01_thegardensgift_archive.html

alieliza

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:26:28 PM

These are not tomatoes, but I am trying to grow morning glories and moonflower outside on my deck, to climb the lattice....

Well, I check on them every day, and they are doing alright..... the moonflower is a little behind, but it just started to do really well (they are little seedlings right now, but are growing little by little....)

Well, I go out there this morning, and the moonflower stalk is on the ground, and a bunch of my potted plants are dug up!!!

I bet it was a little squirrel digging for food!!! Argh!!!

Im thinking of putting chicken wire around them??

Kara

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:37:17 PM

As much as I love squirrels they can totally destroy a garden, especially if you are trying to grow bulbs or edibles! You might want to try hanging something fluttery that will move with the wind near the plants to scare off the voracious squirrels or one of those fake owls they sell to scare them.

glenmar

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:44:44 PM

Often BIRDS will steal tomatoes......used to have that problem in CA and I ended up covering them with nylon netting.

smilee1079

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:48:44 PM

Where can I find a lightweight nylon netting?

sharismom

Posted : 7/14/2006 2:51:25 PM

Yep, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, wascally wabbits like to nibble shoots. One year I tried growing some impatiens outside on the ground and the chipmunks kept chowing on them. I bet it was birds eating your tomatoes. I always grow a tomato plant, if nothing else, and have been fortunate enough not to lose those to critters.

glenmar

Posted : 7/14/2006 3:21:12 PM

any fabric store, or even WallyWorld will have nylon netting. Mine was white....looked like my garden was wearing a bridal veil!

Karen

Posted : 7/14/2006 4:54:11 PM

My dog use to lick the tomatoes on the bush, He did eat two of them when they had fallen off.

If they are not quiet ripe you can take them off the plant and sit them on the window sill in the sun to ripen them a little more I have done that several times and so does my dad.

marlania

Posted : 7/14/2006 7:03:01 PM

We live next to my grandpa, and this season, possums were taking his tomatoes. Raccoons were also destroying his pumpkins, but they seem to have relocated...perhaps to the neighbor's garden.