#52390
August 17th, 2006 at 05:22 AM
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What's eating my maters? Hornworms? Chipmunks? Birds?
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#52391
August 17th, 2006 at 05:41 AM
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I vote "other". That looks like one, clean bite mark? You sure the new puppy hasn't discovered a new snack? I'm sorry, I don't mean to joke. I know its frustrating. Isn't your yard fenced in? No deer can get in, can they?
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#52392
August 17th, 2006 at 06:22 AM
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I vote critter of some sort, Not a bird....You sure Willy hasn't been doing this?? Thats a pretty big bite area for small critters like squirels or chipmunks...Turtles leave places like that though. Any neighbor kids close by that can get to your garden...maybe they took a bite????
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#52393
August 17th, 2006 at 07:07 AM
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I know it's not Willy - 100% positive!! Here's a couple more pics of another tomatoe I just found. You can see how whatever this is doesn't look like a human or dog bite because of how it's eaten through the inside.
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#52394
August 17th, 2006 at 07:27 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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I don't know Christina.....I think Comfrey's right. Looks an awful lot like Willy could've done it.
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#52395
August 17th, 2006 at 07:46 AM
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What ever it was it is not a little critter...How about a groundhog/woodchuck???? They ate my cantaloupes last year and could even carry them off..they left big bites if it wasn't ripe enough for them???
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#52396
August 17th, 2006 at 09:10 AM
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So...are you both quite certain this isn't the making of a hornworm? I know I have chipmunks living in my shed though I can't catch the lil' buggers! But you'd think the chipmunks would take them right off the vine? These are tomatoes that I had to reach in through all the branches for...then when I got a hold of them, my thumb ended up right in the hole.....ewww!! Just please trust me...take my word for it...it's not Willy. She gets blamed for most things but in this case...she's not guilty.
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#52397
August 17th, 2006 at 09:13 AM
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BTW..where is Peppereater?? He hasn't posted in a few days???
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#52398
August 17th, 2006 at 09:32 AM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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I vote for slugs or ants.... A couple of them can clean out a soft spot on a tomato in a night...
*When did you find it Christina, and how, was it still on the vine or on the ground?*
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#52399
August 17th, 2006 at 10:53 AM
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These are tomatoes that I had to reach in through all the branches for... They're on the vine.
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#52400
August 17th, 2006 at 10:54 AM
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Here's a couple more pics of another tomatoe I just found I just found them today.
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#52401
August 17th, 2006 at 11:53 AM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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Slugs and ants will still travel up the vine/stem to get at their dinner... Late at night and much...
Go out late at night with a flashlight and see if you see any action going on... *or even the veryyyy early morning hours, while there's still dew out*
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#52402
August 17th, 2006 at 12:36 PM
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Christina, on all of the photos I've seen of hornworm damaged fruit, they all look similar in that the worm never eats that deep into the fruit and it is mostly confined to unripe, green fruit. Both of my fruit that were damaged were green. You can look for the hornworm poop on the plant leaves. That's a dead giveaway that they are close by. That's how I found 3 of mine. If I had to bet, I would guess the chipmunks. I've trapped 7 of those little rats this year.
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#52403
August 17th, 2006 at 12:56 PM
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John, I haven't spotted any hornworm poop or eaten leaves....and trust me...I've looked!
How did you trap the chipmunks and (I hate to ask) but what did you do with them when you caught them?
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#52404
August 17th, 2006 at 01:09 PM
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I have GOT to post this link... check this out
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#52405
August 17th, 2006 at 01:11 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Christina-that looks like my tomaotes that the raccoons got to! They take a bite and eat the inside and leave the tomatoe behind. Did this happen overnight? They got a bit lazy after a while and didn't even bother to take them off the plant-just bit right in! I tilled 'em in!!
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#52406
August 17th, 2006 at 01:36 PM
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Compost Queen!
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Compost Queen!
Joined: Apr 2003
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Christina...... That is just one big EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
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#52407
August 17th, 2006 at 01:42 PM
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Netty..yes this happened overnight! Perhaps it is those chipmunks...never seen a racoon in my yard...or here in the city...only out on the county roads. Weezie..you can say that again! Isn't that disgusting? It has to be a joke or sumthing...one could not possibly eat those!
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#52408
August 17th, 2006 at 01:50 PM
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#52409
August 17th, 2006 at 02:22 PM
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I can tell you what is eating those tomatoes. It's those little devils themselves, squirrels! I found one the other day chomping away and it looked just like that. Since I have found two more big ones more than half devoured. I caught the squirrel in the act again just this evening. I been growing tomatoes since I was ten, thats over twenty years. I have never seen/had problems with squirrels eating tomatoes in the past. What is up with that?
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#52410
August 17th, 2006 at 02:26 PM
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Looks like the perfect new Gazpacho(sp?) ingredient! Originally posted by ChristinaC: How did you trap the chipmunks and (I hate to ask) but what did you do with them when you caught them?
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#52411
August 17th, 2006 at 02:54 PM
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#52412
August 17th, 2006 at 03:49 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by johnCT: [QB] Looks like the perfect new Gazpacho(sp?) ingredient! [QB] What a wonderful idea. Shall I mix them right in or just use the Gazpacho as a dipping for the them? Either way, you'd enjoy that nice chewy texture that we all love so much.
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#52413
August 17th, 2006 at 04:42 PM
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The Bird Man
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The Bird Man
Joined: May 2005
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Erm, Christina, a raccoon is NOT a rodent, it is a member of the bear and panda family and although it is has dentition like a carnivore, is in fact more of an omnivore. I've had pet raccoons for much of my early life and found that they dearly loved any kind of food from cookies to hamburgers, to insects to crawfish to Fireworks ?! and I have even known them to eat tomatoes.
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#52414
August 18th, 2006 at 12:46 AM
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Seriously Christina, I use rat traps baited with peanut butter for those destructive little varmints. Very effective.
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