What Animals Steal Ripe Tomatoes?

[hdaviesmt]

Does anyone know what animal would steal ripe/ripening tomatoes??? I've asked around the area (NW Montana) and no one has a clue. It's as though they are carefully plucked off the vine. I thought maybe raccoons or skunks, but was told they would much prefer the corn field 2 properties over. I'm starting to get a bit frustrated.

[TheLorax]

Humans probably rank first of all animals that steal ripe/ripening tomatoes.

I steal tomatoes from my girlfriend's plants all the time. But then she steals them from my plants too so we're even. We don't tell each other we're stealing from each other. The tomato thievery between the two of us has become somewhat of a joke. She showed me a beautiful bowl filled with plump juicy tomatoes. I told her they looked great. Went home and realized they were mine. I happen to have several of hers on my window sill ripening right now... grabbed them on my way out when I left her house a few days ago. Both my mailwoman and my FedEx man grab tomatoes from my plants. They did ask first so I guess that doesn't count. So, humans definitely steal ripe/ripening tomatoes.

Other animals that eat tomatoes would be deer, bear, opossums, squirrels, and even raccoons will eat them. I have a crow that is boldly perching on the tomato cage around my cherry tomatoes having himself a personal smorgasbord. He's a large bird and the tomato cage dips toward the ground but he doesn't care. I think your question should be what doesn't eat tomatoes.

[cynthia_h]

Other owners of Bernese Mountain Dogs have also reported depredations by their doggies on tomato plants, esp. as the tomatoes are approaching perfection.

Perhaps other breeds of dog as well?

Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

[hdaviesmt]

[quote="TheLorax"]Humans probably rank first of all animals that steal ripe/ripening tomatoes.

Thanks; you were oh so right. My friend just fessed up.

[TheLorax]

Thank you, thank you very much (with a curtsy and a flounce). In lieu of sending money to me for single handedly solving your disappearing tomato mystery... please send tomatoes.

Please don't get me wrong but I am actually laughing at your predicament because this is exactly what's been going on by me. The humans are actually beating the deer and other woodland critters to the fruits... that's a first. I have been gearing up to can tomatoes and quite frankly have found that I have stolen so many tomatoes from myself by eating them off the vine as snacks throughout the day while working that I doubt seriously if I will have enough to learn how to can with them. And, I've got something like 20 plants out there that are monsters that are producing like gang busters and it's almost as if the minute they ripen, they're being snitched by somebody to include myself.

Guess I'll have to go back to snitch from Shirley's house to get enough together to make a basic sauce... either that or grow 40 tomato plants next year to compensate for all the animal thievery going on around here.

[Kisal]

Other owners of Bernese Mountain Dogs have also reported depradations by their doggies on tomato plants, esp. as the tomatoes are approaching perfection.

Perhaps other breeds of dog as well?

Cynthia H.
USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 17

Yep! My Komondorok both stole tomatoes from my vines, as did my Newfoundlands, and now my Black Lab. My little Rat Terrier doesn't seem to be interested in them, although she likes to jump up into my apple tree and pick apples for herself to eat.

[dinker]

A rat terrier getting apples out of a tree oh thats funny

[brewerjamie15]

Squirrels are taking my tomatoes. I really hate those rodents. If it's not my bird feeders, it's my garden.

[dinker]

Im lucky i don't have alot of trouble with squirrels but i have walnut and acorn trees. They like to shell the walnuts on my back steps its the only time they get on my porch. I would be a little upset if they got in my garden {that was my nice way of saying it}
Squirrels are full of mischief Ive seen them run up to a dog the dog would turn and chase it the squirrel would stop just beyond the reach of the dog he waited till the dog would lay down and he would do it again. seemed as thow it was a game between them

[michelek]

someone or something just stole my 1st ever big ripe tomato from the vine on my roof terrace. i was sooo proud of it... it is unlikely it is other residents of the block - but perhaps my labrador dog? or squirrels - no I don't have squirrels on the roof terrace. we have crows sometimes ... perhaps... but the tomato was hidden inside the vine - how is this possible.... disappeared!

[Marlingardener]

Check your Labrador for "tomato breath". We had a Golden Retriever who ate grapes--just the bottom ones, so I never had a perfectly formed bunch!

[imafan26]

Slugs, snails, birds, bored dogs, rodents, what doesn't like a ripe tomato?
I know the birds are getting most of mine closely followed by the snails and slugs.
Some of my tomatoes are stung by fruit flies and that isn't good either.

The answer is to pick them at first blush and ripen them on the counter.

I did have bird netting on mine but that did not stop the slugs and the birds got under the netting or chewed holes in the netting and they ate any tomato that was right up against the netting. Eventually the tomato grew through the netting and it just made it harder for me to get to the fruit.