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Comfrey? John? Longy? Peppereater? Help!

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 06:22 AM
What's eating my maters? Hornworms? Chipmunks? Birds? [dunno]

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by johnCT on August 17, 2006 06:41 AM
I vote "other". That looks like one, clean bite mark? You sure the new puppy hasn't discovered a new snack? [Big Grin] 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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John - Zone 6
by comfrey on August 17, 2006 07:22 AM
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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by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 08:07 AM
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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by johnCT on August 17, 2006 08:27 AM
I don't know Christina.....I think Comfrey's right. Looks an awful lot like Willy could've done it.

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John - Zone 6
by comfrey on August 17, 2006 08:46 AM
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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by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 10:10 AM
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? [dunno] 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. [critic]
Am I gonna' have to camp out in my garden tonight in order to catch the culprit? [scaredy]

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by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 10:13 AM
BTW..where is Peppereater?? He hasn't posted in a few days???

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by weezie13 on August 17, 2006 10:32 AM
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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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 11:53 AM
quote:
These are tomatoes that I had to reach in through all the branches for...
They're on the vine.

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by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 11:54 AM
quote:
Here's a couple more pics of another tomatoe I just found
I just found them today.

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by weezie13 on August 17, 2006 12:53 PM
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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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by johnCT on August 17, 2006 01:36 PM
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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John - Zone 6
by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 01:56 PM
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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by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 02:09 PM
I have GOT to post this link...

check this out

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by netty on August 17, 2006 02:11 PM
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! [Mad] I tilled 'em in!!

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by weezie13 on August 17, 2006 02:36 PM
Christina......
That is just one big EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 02:42 PM
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! [scaredy]

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by comfrey on August 17, 2006 02:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by weezie13:
Christina...... That is just one big EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
quote:
Originally posted by ChristinaC:
Weezie..you can say that again! Isn't that disgusting? It has to be a joke or sumthing...one could not possibly eat those! [scaredy]
[shocked] [nutz] [lala] [Big Grin]

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by Woodland Garden on August 17, 2006 03:22 PM
I can tell you what is eating those tomatoes. It's those little devils themselves, squirrels! [devil]

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?
by johnCT on August 17, 2006 03:26 PM
Looks like the perfect new Gazpacho(sp?) ingredient! [thumb]

quote:
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?
[muggs] [critic]

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John - Zone 6
by comfrey on August 17, 2006 03:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by johnCT:
Looks like the perfect new Gazpacho(sp?) ingredient! [thumb]

quote:
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?
[muggs] [critic]

[lala] [lala] [Big Grin]

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by ChristinaC on August 17, 2006 04:49 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by johnCT:
[QB] Looks like the perfect new Gazpacho(sp?) ingredient! [thumb] [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. [perplexed]
Shall I post my recipe in the recipe section?? [Big Grin]

Woodland, I'll be keeping my eye out. I think we've all narrowed it down to some sort of rodent, whether it be squirrel, raccoon or chipmunk. Now once I figure out what it is..what will I do with them? I'll trap them and mail them to John. Maybe he'll have a recipe for them that he can post. [Big Grin] Served along side my hornworm gazpacho. [thumb]

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by Thornius on August 17, 2006 05:42 PM
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 ?! [shocked] and I have even known them to eat tomatoes.

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A bird in the hand......can sometimes be a mess.
by johnCT on August 18, 2006 01:46 AM
Seriously Christina, I use rat traps baited with peanut butter for those destructive little varmints. Very effective.

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John - Zone 6
by ChristinaC on August 18, 2006 02:18 AM
Why thank-you Thornius. Honestly when I typed that post, I had thought about what word would be best used to classify the three suspects. Then, I thought.."oh whatever...no one will care". [perplexed] Guess I was wrong...you care. [Big Grin]

John, I'm not sure I have it in me to trap rodents (err..or an ominivore from the bear and panda family [Roll Eyes] ). Some gardener I am! [perplexed]

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by johnCT on August 18, 2006 02:19 AM
quote:
Originally posted by ChristinaC:
BTW..where is Peppereater?? He hasn't posted in a few days???
I talked to him a couple days ago. He said he's having computer issues and may be scarce for a bit.

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John - Zone 6
by comfrey on August 18, 2006 07:39 AM
Well a racoon is not going to be trapped with a rodent trap..The one I saw on my front porch recently who was eating dry cat food when it stood up was at least 2-1/2 foot tall or more. You can get a live trap and bait it for small critters or even to catch a coon and then take a drive out towards the country and release it from the trap. No harm to anyone that way.

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by Amigatec on August 19, 2006 01:47 PM
I had something eating my mators, close to the ground, it had to be a turtle.

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One OS to rule them, one OS to find them:
One OS to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Redmond where the shadows lie.
by weezie13 on August 19, 2006 01:52 PM
Somebody took a couple of chunks out of mine
today too...
I haven't been back there enough to catch anyone
in the act yet!!! [Frown] [Mad] [Razz]

And mine are up on raised beds..
I'd love to know what's polevaulting up and grazing... [perplexed]

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by comfrey on August 19, 2006 01:58 PM
Yes I had a turtle also eating my lower hanging tomatoes...In fact it was still under the plant where it had dug down into the damp garden soil under the shade of the plant and was resting, after taking a bite out of at least 3 different tomatoes.

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by StaceyRoop on August 20, 2006 06:12 AM
now you said you had to reach into the vine to get them but how far off the ground?

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