Something got into my garden last night

[Francis Barnswallow]

I checked the garden this morning and saw that my tomato plant had broken branches and there were around 20 half eaten tomatoes on the ground. When I looked at the half eaten tomatoes I noticed small punctures on the skins of the them.

What animal do you think caused this? How can I stop this w/o using rat poisen.....b/c I'm at my wits end with this critter and this has been going on for about a month now.

[ozark_rocks]

What rotten luck. You might try live traps, or hot pepper spray. Could it be rats, I'm just guessing, I don't know what animal leaves puncture marks in veggies.

[Francis Barnswallow]

How do I apply hot pepper spray?

[applestar]

I don't know about rats, but my Dad says a radio left on all night helps to deter groundHOGs and deer, at least for a while.

Have you tried netting? (I know you had a thread going on about this marauder. Sorry I didn't follow it completely.)

Would you consider a small-animal electric fence?

[Francis Barnswallow]

My garden was protected by chicken wire on all sides.....except for the top. I covered the top of the garden with the remaining chicken wire I had.

The garden is completely "sealed off" from animals but I had to bend down tomato stalks to do so. Will this harm the tomato plant over time?

[thanrose]

That's classic opossum behavior, the trashing of plants and the acute punctures to fruit. Plus, if you'll recall, I thought it was opossum that dug the little holes.

[Francis Barnswallow]

That's classic opossum behavior, the trashing of plants and the acute punctures to fruit. Plus, if you'll recall, I thought it was opossum that dug the little holes.

Yeah, them little holes are all over the outside of my house....front and back.

[JennieMig]

I used Critter Ridder by Havahart to repel a raccoon. I only applied it once around the edges of my boxes and it kept the creatures out. It looks like course black pepper, but is very strong, made me sneeze like crazy.

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, ultimately it will damage your tomato plants to be kept in too small a cage. I use deer netting to cage in my tomatoes to protect from groundhogs, possums, raccoons etc, but I wrap it around tall stakes around the outside of the bed (and then pull it together over the top). Even so late in the season the plants tend to be pressing up against it, and they don't grow well in those spots.

[dearmad]

Vampire damage.

They rove all over Florida. With all your hot sunlight and stuff like that whatever it's called.

Curse you and your tomatoes in MARCH!

Our light:

[thanrose]

Yeah, but you can have tomatoes in July while we're too hot. Plus, our bugs can beat up your bugs.

[garden5]

I never thought about possum, but that does make sense. It sounds like something possum would do. For some reason, I have possums and skunks.....yet they seem to leave my garden alone .