Something's eating my tomatoes!

[dking@scetv.org]

I believe a bird is eating my almost ripe tomato plants and want to know how to keep them at bay.
In the evening, I am excited to note that I should be able to harvest beautiful tomatoes in the morning. However, when I come outside the tomatoes are eaten almost in half. They are in pots on a second floor balcony and the only thing I can think of is that the culprits are birds.
Is there something I can do to keep the offender away without harming the creature? Large chunks of the tomato meat are gone and although I'm happy to share my produce, I would like to enjoy some of the tomatoes, too and share with my human friends!

[MikeP09]

On a second floor balcony I would think it's squirrels. A bird would peck a hole for water but I don't think a bird could eat half the tomato unless it was a turkey buzzard or something. haha

[TZ -OH6]

You can either wrap the plants in bird netting, which probably won't stop squirrels for long, or you can pick the fruits when they are still pink and ripen them on the counter. They still develop good flavor that way.

[lakngulf]

Squirrels can be a major problem. I have some second season tomatoes in my back yard--cooler area, etc. Each day I see a green tomato or two on the ground. They like em green too, but usually do not finish them off.

One year, when we were having a serious drought, the squirrels even hoarded some tomatoes. Look closely in this picture for the nice, juicy, red tomato in the bend of the pine tree.


[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/G2010J2/IMG_1450.jpg[/img]

[engineeredgarden]

stupid squirrels.....they are taking all of my tomatoes that are being grown next to the woods. I found one that they ate half - then left it on the ground. How do I know it was a squirrel? 2 little teeth marks all over it. I'm taking the shotgun to them from now on....

EG