You’ve been growing your tomatoes for the past 4-5 months, carefully pruning and watering them.
And then one morning you come outside to see that some critter has taken bites out of your fruit that you worked so hard to grow.
You were SO close to getting to taste that new variety or share them with friends, and now you’re going to have to wait even longer…and that’s if you’re lucky enough that they didn’t destroy the entire plant.
I know the feeling – rabbits, squirrels, and birds are the biggest culprits at the moment for eating out of my garden.
But there are plenty of animals that find tomatoes to be a delicious snack as well.
The good news is that there are some easy ways to keep these critters away from your garden; so let’s walk through what animals eat tomatoes and how to keep them out of your garden.
Animals That Will Eat Your Tomato Plants
There are a bunch of wild animals that will want to reap the benefits of gardening “with you” – and most animals LOVE ripe tomatoes.
Some of the more common animals that eat tomatoes include birds, squirrels, deer, and rabbits.
But there are others that you might be dealing with like groundhogs and even a stray cat.
Whatever you do, don’t use harsh chemicals to keep your garden safe!
Here are some of the animals that eat tomatoes and ways you can keep their damage to a minimum.
Birds are one of the more obvious culprits that could be eating your tomatoes.
If you have a bird feeder in your yard, there are likely quite a few birds that will wander over to the garden and check out what else is on the menu.
This little feathered “friend” will have no problem feasting on your tomatoes, garden seeds, and other plants.
There are plenty of types of birds that will peck at tomatoes, but those are some of the more common ones.
The catch-22 here is that birds will eat worms on your tomatoes too, so you’re missing out on that by trying to keep them away.
But if you don’t have any tomatoes, then who cares if there are worms!
How to Keep Birds Out of a Garden
For the most part, birds are great for the garden.
But they can also be a nuisance when it comes to getting into your tomatoes.
Garden or Bird Netting
There are a few ways to keep birds out of your tomato patch, and the main way is to use bird netting.
You can drape netting over the plants to help keep them from getting to the fruit.
However, you’ll need to stay on top of raising the netting as your plants grow.
You can also use aluminum screening and bend it into an arched shape over the plants you’re trying to save from pecking damage.
Pick Your Tomatoes Early
The other thing is to pick tomatoes before they’re fully ripe.
Birds seem to be attracted to tomatoes once they’re bright red and start smelling like food.
Try and pick your tomatoes when they’re in the “breaker” stage, and start turning from green to red (or yellow tomatoes if you’re growing different varieties).
Then you can let them ripen on the counter inside where birds can’t get to them.
This isn’t a perfect solution, as some birds will eat green tomatoes as well, but it can definitely help lessen the impact.
Or plop a fake owl at the corners of the garden to make them think the space isn’t safe.
Squirrels are common in the USA, and good lord they are all over my backyard.
I’ve lost so many tomatoes to squirrels that I’m now that crazy person that runs outside when I see a squirrel eyeing up my garden.
Squirrels might seem cute for a while – until they sit on your fence eating your tomatoes while staring you directly in the eye.
A squirrel sitting on a fence eating tomatoes off the vine
They’re nimble, can climb just about anything, and will also eat almost anything.
Unfortunately for us gardeners, they love tomato plants.
How to Keep Squirrels Off Your Tomato Plants
There are a few good ways to keep squirrels away from your tomatoes:
These sprinklers can help keep squirrels away, as well as other animals that are easily scared off and sensitive to water:
It can help keep all kinds of animals away from the garden, including:
This is great for keeping your plants watered as well 🙂
The Garden Enforcer – Motion Activated Sprinkler
A motion activated sprinkler works wonders for keeping animals (and people!) out of your yard.
It sprays intermittently as it detects continuous motion so animals won’t get used to the timing of it.
I don’t want to jinx myself here, but the fence I put up to keep the rabbits out seems to have kept the squirrels out of the garden.
That and the compost pile that is on the complete opposite end of the yard (they LOVE eating out of that).
The fence is just a bunch of T-posts spaced around 7-8 feet apart with some chicken wire running in between.
The birds that sit on the edge of it seem to “dance” as they try to relax, so I wonder if the movement keeps the squirrels from going in.
But to be safe, it might make sense to get an electric fence that will buzz and freak them out when they sit on top.
Tomato Cages
I’m not talking about any tomato cage, but the mesh ones with the top on them.
Putting these overtop of your tomato plants can help keep squirrels and birds out of there.
Pick Tomatoes Before They’re Ripe
Squirrels love eating ripe tomatoes.
Harvesting your tomatoes when they’re just starting to turn pink or yellow and letting them ripen inside on the kitchen counter is a great option to avoid unnecessary competition.
Propping a fake owl up near your tomato plants can help.
This also applies to adding a snake on the ground, but squirrels will get used to it not moving, so you’ll want to switch it up every so often.
It’s like the Elf on a Shelf, but for your garden!
AKA Woodchucks – Groundhogs definitely eat tomatoes.
These fuzzy creatures eat ripe tomatoes, and can tear up a garden in no time flat!
They’re vegetarians, so they eat all kinds of plants and garden crops.
While fences can help keep out a lot of pests, if you’re trying to get rid of groundhogs, you’re going to have to be a little more thoughtful about your placement.
Groundhogs are burrowing animals (as their name suggests), so if you have your fence several inches underground, they’ll be unable to dig under it.
Deer eat different types of shrubs, grasses, leaves, fungi, and other ferns, but deer will also eat tomatoes and other plants in your garden.
They can travel far greater distances than most people realize and they usually come at night time or early in the morning.
You can try many things to prevent them from eating your plants like repellents, fencing, lights, scare tactics, and deer-proof containers.
Do deer eat tomatoes?
They do for sure, oftentimes plucking a tomato right off the vine.
They will also jump a fence to get to your tomatoes, so if that’s how you’re trying to prevent them, make sure it’s a good-sized fence (over 7 feet).
How to Keep Deer From Eating Tomato Plants
Here are some great options for keeping deer away and protecting tomatoes.
Sounds strange, but the smell of soap is not a pleasant one for deer.
The scent will help keep them away and away from your tomato plant.
Soap works great as a deer repellant.
Deer can jump quite high, between 5-8 feet.
So your fence will need to be quite high, but over 6 feet should be at least a great deterrent for most deer.
These are solar-powered lights that resemble the eyes of predators in the dark.
Since deer are usually active at dawn and dusk, these can help steer them in another direction.
Voles are very small rodents that live underground in tunnels.
Voles are kind of like moles but they eat plants and their roots vs the worms and grub that moles eat.
Voles eat the roots of plants like carrots, lettuce, peppers, beans, and, you guessed it – tomatoes.
They can dig through your garden soil or use these strong front teeth to rip through the ground.
How to Keep Voles Out of Your Tomato Garden
They like piles of leaves, mulch, and grass.
If the grass isn’t mowed regularly, this creates a great place for them to burrow and nest.
Voles need some kind of cover to survive, so clearing up the garden space and keeping weeds at bay will help keep the voles away.
Voles burrow in tunnels, so finding small holes on the surface of the ground is a great indicator you have a vole issue.
Solar spikes can be a great option for keeping out gophers, moles, voles, and even groundhogs.
Rodents are practically blind, so they rely on vibrations to help them know when an attacker is present, and these vibrations the stakes give off let them know something large is nearby.
Do rabbits eat tomatoes?
I had a few bunnies come through and destroy my tomatoes, two years in a row.
Thankfully, some of those tomato plants were resilient and grew back.
But you better believe I built a fence that following day to keep them from getting to the rest of my tomatoes.
Chicken wire fencing, T-posts, a sledgehammer, and about 3 hours later, those suckers were no longer allowed in my garden.
The last-minute fence I put up to keep out the rabbits
Rabbits are small mammals with large hind legs which help them run fast and get away, often before you even notice them.
Rabbits LOVE to eat nightshade plants like tomatoes and peppers, but they also enjoy eating clover, alfalfa, lettuce, and turnips.
They usually come out early morning or at dusk to start eating vegetables that are close to the ground.
They can eat a ton, especially during mating season.
You can try rabbit repellents, scare tactics, or grow varieties that rabbits won’t eat… but you may have better luck with a fence.
How to Tell If Rabbits Are Eating Your Tomatoes
You can often sense if rabbits are eating your tomatoes by three things:
Their footprintsThe 💩 or scat they leave behindIf you see rabbits in the area (even if not in your garden)
If you’re part of any gardening Facebook group, you’ve probably seen someone posting a picture of some rabbits nest in their garden.
How to Keep Rabbits From Eating Your Tomato Plants
The fence lasted the remainder of the season and did a great job.
Plant Cages
Instead of putting up a full fence, you can also put cages around the plants you know rabbits are going to want.
There are plenty of options for cages to use, but I like these ones because they can be placed around existing plants.
Build a Decoy Garden
You can also create a garden that you plan to leave for these animals that eat tomato plants.
I ended up leaving some of the clover that was growing on the other side of the property for them and just didn’t mow that area as often.
Deer love clover too, so this could help with both.
Raccoons are equal opportunity eaters and will eat almost anything including plants like corn, beans, and, of course, tomatoes.
You can tell if a raccoon has been around by looking for its tracks.
Raccoon paw prints are very distinctive and almost look like a child’s handprint with really long claw indentations.
Are Raccoons Eating Your Tomatoes?
Here are some signs that a raccoon is rummaging through your garden.
Raccoons may also dig holes in the ground looking for bugs, and may inadvertently dig up your plants without even trying.
How to Keep Raccoons Away
Here are a few ideas for keeping raccoons away from your tomatoes.
If your garden is positioned far enough away from your house (and you’re neighbors’ houses), you can put a radio in the garden and play some heavy metal all night.
These guys do not like loud noises, so it can be a good way to get rid of raccoons.
Motion-activated lights are great for the garden and will deter raccoons (and other pests) from getting too comfortable in the garden at night.
Although it won’t be a perfect option, it can definitely help when paired with other methods.
These simulate larger prey and will definitely help keep raccoons away.
MAGIC CAT Solar Red Eyes
These solar-powered lights create an eerie glow in your garden to help simulate a large predator and deter:DeerFoxRaccoonsCoyoteSkunkCats
Although spring and summer are usually when they have the most opportunities to catch rodents, mice, and other prey, so they’re probably not the culprit.
However, they will tear up a garden with their feces and urine, so it’s helpful to keep them out.
Now, I know you might not want to believe it, but dogs get into EVERYTHING.
If you have a dog that roams around on the property, they could be taking nibbles at your plants.
I caught my dog chomping on a pumpkin that I’m guessing a squirrel had started for him.
If you’re lucky enough to have chickens roaming your property, you’ll have to keep an eye out.
They like eating worms so the garden is definitely a place you’ll find those.
So you may inadvertently lose a few tomato fruits or plants in the process.
Possums eat tomatoes as well, but will rarely eat the entire fruit.
Plus, these enjoy eating ticks and other bugs more.
How to Know What is Eating Your Tomato Plants
What if you know something is eating your tomatoes, but you just have no clue what it is?
Instead of sitting out by the garden for hours every day (although I highly recommend doing that sometime), you can use a trail camera to help you out.
Most have great night vision to help you see if a nocturnal animal is snatching up your tomatoes, or if those half-eaten gouges are coming from some deer nearby.
My Favorite Method: Picking Tomatoes Early
Most animals that eat tomatoes go after them when they are red, ripe, and ready to be eaten.
But did you know that you can pick tomatoes a few days before they are fully ripe to avoid this extra competition?
I like to pick tomatoes during the breaker stage, which is when they are starting to turn pink (or yellow if you’re growing yellow tomatoes).
Different ripening stages for tomatoes
While this isn’t a catchall as some birds like sparrows have been known to eat unripe and even green tomatoes, it can definitely help you keep more of your harvest.
Keeping animal pests away from your tomatoes can be a challenge, but it’s worth it in my opinion.
Alternatively, you can grow tomatoes in pots near your home, or even indoors to help reduce the pest pressure.
What Animal Eats Green Tomatoes?
While ripe tomatoes are usually the ones targeted by animals, they will often eat green ones as well.
This includes squirrels, birds, and raccoons.
Oftentimes this will happen in the height of the summer as they’re looking for a drink of water or a refreshing snack, and even a green tomato is both!
Tomatoes are some of the most common plants grown in gardens around the world.
They’re also tasty – not only for humans but also for the animals that live nearby.
That’s why many animals eat them.
Animals that eat tomatoes include squirrels, raccoons, deer, rabbits, birds, and pigs (as well as many others listed below).
Some of these animals are wild animals that will eat your tomatoes in your garden.
Others will eat tomatoes as a snack, while some are fed tomatoes by their owners.
For some farmers, these animals might cause a lot of damage to their tomato crops.
What Eats Tomatoes?
What Eats Tomatoes?
These are some of the animals that might be eating tomatoes from your garden!
Scientific NameSciuridaeType of AnimalMammalRangeAustralia and Antarctica
Squirrels are small and lovely animals, but did you know that they might be eating your tomato crops?
They prefer to eat smaller foods like nuts and roots, but if there aren’t any similar foods around, they might resort to stealing your crops such as tomatoes.
If you see a small bite of tomato chewed off, then it’s highly possible that a squirrel was looking for a good meal in your garden.
Scientific NameProcyon lotorType of AnimalMammalRangeNorth America
They like to wait around and see if there are any foods that might be easy to get.
An alternative might be finding food crops around houses such as tomatoes.
They like to eat many types of vegetables including tomatoes.
Many people who own raccoons as pets will feed them a variety of veggies – which is important to keep the diet of a raccoon as varied as possible.
Scientific NameCervidaeType of AnimalMammalRangeall continents except Australia and Antarctica
Deer are often near the bottom of the feeding chain.
It’s a shame since deer are highly peaceful animals that will mainly eat a strictly herbivorous diet, which includes tomatoes.
If you have your garden protected and properly fenced, then it will be almost impossible for deer to find their way into your garden.
However, leaving your tomatoes exposed will give the deer a chance to find themselves a good source of food, so they’ll take advantage of this opportunity quickly.
Scientific NameMarmota monaxType of AnimalMammalRangeCanada and into Alaska
A groundhog is a rodent that lives in forests.
In many ways, it’s very similar to squirrels, as it shares a similar type of diet to the squirrel.
They’re mostly herbivorous, relying on grasses and vegetation and other foods available in their habitat.
In addition to grasses and other similar foods, groundhogs will also eat foods such as tomatoes.
They’re often prey animals, so they need to take advantage of every food source they can find in their way, so they won’t hesitate to eat your crops, too.
Related Article: 27 Animals that Look Like Groundhogs
Scientific NameOryctolagus cuniculusType of AnimalMammalRangeWorldwide
Rabbit is another animal that likes to eat tomatoes.
These animals are mostly found in the wild where they rely on herbivorous foods, but many people keep rabbits as pets.
In both cases, these small mammals like to eat tomatoes and other similar foods.
Because of their small stature, rabbits have a slight preference for smaller tomato plants, but they will chew away the larger tomatoes if they get the chance to.
Related Article: 19 Animals Like Rabbits
Scientific NameSialia sialisType of AnimalBirdRangeeastern North America and south as far as Nicaragua
Did you know that one of the most common animals that eat your tomatoes is a bird?
Depending on where you live, there might be several types of birds pecking away at your tomatoes, including:
To protect your crops against birds, it’s best to put cages around your tomatoes so that birds can’t access them.
This might not be possible for all types of crops, though, as some tomato plants are too high for cages.
Scientific NameLarvaType of AnimalInsectRangeWorldwideDietHerbivore
Caterpillars are also one of the most common animals you’ll find eating your tomato plants.
Tomato hornworms, specifically, are known for eating tomatoes.
While these large caterpillars like to chew away on the leaves of your tomatoes, they might also go for the fruit itself.
It’s not easy to protect your tomato crops against caterpillars.
Some farmers use various deterrents, but many of these use chemicals that might be harming your tomatoes and making them potentially dangerous to your health.
Some suggest putting cardboard around your tomatoes so that caterpillars can’t climb on your plants.
But even though this animal prefers to eat potatoes, it won’t say no to tomatoes either.
In most areas of the world, it’s seen as a pest.
Many farmers have problems getting these animals away from their gardens, too.
Scientific NameMicrotusType of AnimalMammalRangeAlaska and MexicoDietHerbivore
Voles are small rodents that live in different habitats – mainly forests and near rivers.
In terms of character and appearance, they are close relatives to hamsters, so they also have similar preferences when it comes to food.
Voles like to eat plants such as tomatoes and other leafy plants you might have in your garden.
A good sign that a vole is eating your tomatoes is small dents in your tomatoes where the teeth of the vole are clearly visible, which indicates it has found its way into your garden.
Scientific NameSus scrofa domesticusType of AnimalMammalRangeWorldwide
Even pigs like to eat tomatoes on occasion.
Farm pigs are often fed a variety of different foods – mainly herbivorous.
Among them are tomatoes, which represent a good type of feed for domestic pigs.
Wild boars don’t eat tomatoes so commonly but might do so if they have access to the crops.
Related Article: 9 Animals Like Pigs
Scientific NameUrsus americanusType of AnimalMammalRangeAlaska, much of Canada
However, they like to eat plants such as tomatoes on occasion, despite the fact that they’re among the most proficient hunters in the wild.
Tomatoes are among the most common crops that farmers have, so they are sometimes getting eaten by the animals that live nearby.
This includes both large and small animals that have access to tomato crops.
My mission is to write valuable and entertaining information about animals and pets for my audience.
For some people, growing tomatoes in their garden are more trouble than it’s worth.
Tomato plants are large and require lots of water, pruning, and attention to thrive.
As a plant, tomatoes are high in carbohydrates and low in protein.
As such, they’re not as attractive to animal predators as other fruit; however, there are some animals that do eat tomatoes.
Squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, groundhogs, raccoons, deer, and birds are among the creatures that like ripe tomatoes almost as much as humans.
If you have a tomato garden that isn’t well shielded, you may regret it someday.
Because it is not only about planting trees but also about protecting them.
You may see your farm full of tomatoes one day and bare stalks the next day.
There are a few animals that love tomatoes and can leave your garden empty.
So, it would help if you had a good focus on protecting.
Here, I will show you what animals eat tomatoes and how you can keep them away from your plantation.
Keep reading to make a good profit from your tomato garden without any substantial loss.
Page ContentsAnimals that Eat Tomatoes1.
PigsWhat animals eat tomato plant leaves?What Is Eating My Tomato Plants At Night?How Can You Protect Tomatoes From These Animals
Animals that Eat Tomatoes
Animals that Eat Tomatoes
Tomatoes are not poisonous, so it’s natural to wonder which critters out there might be munching on your beloved tomatoes without your permission.
The truth is, not many animals eat tomatoes, whether they’re fresh from the vine or off the bush.
However, there are some select few who do enjoy the tomato as a snack and even as part of their regular diet.
I’ve researched a lot to find out which animals have a hint of weakness in tomatoes.
Here, I will show you a group of animals that eat tomatoes you didn’t know.
Chipmunks are adorable, and we love seeing them climb trees in our backyard.
Yet, if you have a tomato plantation near a wooded place, they can be a big problem.
Chipmunks are usually omnivorous animals.
They eat both nuts and seeds.
In the morning, they come to eat and finish tomatoes except for the main parts.
They leave the remaining food on the plant for further growth.
Squirrels are almost like chipmunks.
They are also rapid and maneuver enough to finish your plant.
You may see a few bites on your sweet tomatoes in the morning because of them.
You can place fake animal sculptures to frighten the squirrels.
However, it won’t be a long-term solution because squirrels are so acclimated that they frequently cause problems.
Setting up a mesh or cages over your plantation is the permanent solution for it.
If you see a top-down defect on your tomatoes, it’s sometimes birds to blame.
Local birds often try to get a taste of your tomatoes.
You can’t plant a garden under a shelter.
When you see the deep gauge or pecking damage on your tomatoes, you can assume it came from the beak.
You can’t keep your garden under a shelter, but you can set a net over it.
Especially for birds, it’s a better solution.
Mockingbirds, pigeons will eat the ripe tomato.
while sparrows eat both green and ripe tomatoes.
They move around the side of a raised bed planter or alongside the edge of your garden shed.
When they come for your tomatoes, they leave excrement.
You’ll find rat droppings alongside the trail that they use to reach your plantation.
You can use poisons to get rid of them.
If you are in a place where groundhogs are common to see, then your tomato farm is in danger.
They not only eat tomatoes but can surprise you by leaving a complete mess up.
Groundhogs are known as the messiest eaters of the garden.
They trample the plants to seek more fruits, and if you don’t keep your garden under notice, they can tear down the entire garden.
Your best course is to catch them with a professional and leave them somewhere else.
Rabbits are one of those common animals who eat tomatoes.
They are fast, stubborn, and regular customers of your garden.
However, rabbits are clean eaters, as they don’t leave any jagged edges in tomatoes.
Yet, they will frequently visit your garden and finish all tomatoes within a few days.
Also, they eat seeds as well.
In the early morning or evening, even at night, they come to eat.
Rabbits don’t go a long way to eat.
And if you found their shack, set up an electric rabbit fence in your garden.
A backyard tomato garden is an easy target for deer.
They are voracious and eat the whole fruit and leave tiny behind.
And to feel their appetite, deer need 7 pounds a day.
You can imagine how it will cost you if they target your garden.
So, if your location is where deer roam everywhere, you should keep an eye on them.
Noticing the vanish of tomatoes, think about the strong-smelling deterrents around your garden for protection from deer.
Although, deer are so clever that they can find out the real cause of the unusual smell.
So, you can pet a dog for the permanent solution.
Dogs barking and smelling frighten the deer, and they may never come back for your tomatoes.
Voles are a common headache for gardeners.
As they love to chew both stems and leaves, you can easily suspect them seeing any of these signs.
Another thing is once you see the narrow grooves on leave, you can presume it comes from the front teeth of the voles.
The best way to get rid of voles is to locate their living tunnel and destroy it.
Raccoons are also another problem for your tomato garden.
They are intelligent, swift, and eat tomatoes a lot.
They are pretty good at climbing and stealing fruits from the garden.
To keep them away from your plantation, you have to set fences.
Fences must be four feet tall.
Also, raccoons dig holes in the yard.
The best way to keep raccoons out of your territory is to prevent them from making homes around your garden.
Put the garbage can undercover and your inside food protected to keep the raccoons away.
Thus they won’t be any longer dependent on neighbors for food.
And you can get relief by saving your tomato plants.
Stray cats are the very unusual culprit.
They don’t eat tomatoes though they can leave a complete mess up with urine.
Also, they tear up gardens for playing purposes.
On the other hand, you may find stray cats chasing mice or other little animals in your garden.
Don’t be happy seeing that cause you may discover your plants out of their roots.
To get rid of stray cats, you can set up cages.
Or a pet dog is also a solution.
But cages are a better option because the dog can also demolish a garden.
You may never have thought about it, but chickens are also to be blamed for the damage to your tomato.
They like to bite everywhere, and before you notice, they can cause damage to the tomatoes and plants.
Fences can’t protect tomatoes from chickens because chickens can fly.
Setting up nets or cages is the solution here.
Though they eat an array of fruits and vegetables, skunks are especially fond of tomatoes.
Many pet owners who grow tomato plants in their yards often find their fruits scattered around by hungry skunks.
They can’t stand bananas though, so you may want to consider planting one near your garden if you worry about having these furry thieves poach your prized produce.
Bears are voracious eaters, especially in late summer when they’re gorging on salmon before hibernation.
They’ll eat up to 20 pounds of food a day.
While they may snack on a tomato or two if it’s available, bears don’t have strong enough teeth to deal with a full-sized tomato.
So if you see bear eating tomatoes, consider yourself lucky!
One of these animals is the pig.
Pigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and meat.
They are also considered domestic animals because people have tamed them so they can use them for their own purposes.
And if pigs had their way, they’d be chowing down on green tomatoes or tomato blossoms as well.
What animals eat tomato plant leaves?
While many animals eat tomatoes, only a few like to munch on tomato plant leaves.
Other animals that enjoy eating tomato plant leaves include rabbits, squirrels, and rats.
These small creatures nibble away at your plants when they’re in their juvenile form.
However, most will steer clear of tomato plant leaves due to their bitter taste and texture.
What Is Eating My Tomato Plants At Night?
For centuries, gardeners have been asking themselves, What is eating my tomato plants at night?
Depending on where you live, it could be anything from squirrels to deer to raccoons.
Knowing what animals eat tomatoes will help you plan your landscaping accordingly.
However, Snails, slugs, hornworms, cutworms, etc can destroy the tomato garden.
How Can You Protect Tomatoes From These Animals
We’ve given different solutions for each animal above.
Try a raised bed:
Anything that holds the shape of your plantation and keeps the soil in a boundary is called a raised bed.
This way, you can prevent small animals from making tunnels.
Then if you can put nets over it, your fruits will ultimately be safe.
It will give you sure protection from the borrowing of pests.
Using pots is the safest way to grow tomatoes.
The most valuable benefits of using pots are, you can keep your tomatoes protected from animals.
Animals that eat tomatoes don’t go too close to people.
If you use pots, you can always keep them anywhere near your house.
It will surely scare off the animal and keep them away.
Fences are the best solution to keep your tomato garden safe.
When building up a fence, make sure the gap of it is no more than 1 inch.
Otherwise, you may stop some livestock but can’t prevent little creatures like rats or squirrels.
And the fence should be set up deep in the soil.
To prevent relatively big animals like goats and deer, make a fence that is 8 feet tall.
And if you’re concerned too much about birds, put a net over your garden.
Last WordsHaving a protective garden can always give you sound sleep.
So, keep in mind what animals eat tomatoes and make your tomatoes safe from them.
A protected garden can grow a more significant number of fruits than other gardens that are left unchecked.
One of the most frustrating parts of growing tomatoes is just how much animals love them.
They’re a delicious fruit ripe for the taking, and there are many backyard animals that eat tomato plants and can damage their progress.
This is a list of the eight animals you’ll find in your garden, as well as a few tips and tricks to keep both them and your garden happy and healthy.
8 common animals that Eat Tomato Plants
Chipmunks can be adorable additions to your backyard wildlife, but can also pose plenty of problems when gardening.
Chipmunks are omnivores and love both nuts and seeds, which unfortunately are abundant in your tomato patch.
They’re especially common if your garden is close to a wooded area, as they prefer to make homes in fallen logs and leaf piles.
As an incredibly agile jumper and climber, they can be difficult to control since they can jump over many fences.
They usually feed in the early morning and only eat the tomatoes, preferring to leave the main part of the plant alone.
This can be frustrating, but no real damage is caused to the crop and they’re relatively neat.
Squirrels, like chipmunks, are also agile gymnasts and able to maneuver through the air and up your plants with ease.
They’re omnivores and also prefer the early morning to steal a few bites out of your sweet tomatoes.
Placing a mesh “cage” over your tomato plants, similar to how you squirrel proof a bird feeder, is recommended if they become a large enough problem.
Placing a fake snake or owl nearby can also sometimes do the trick, but squirrels can become acclimated to anything relatively quickly and the position and type of animal should be changed frequently.
3. Local Birds
3. Local Birds
3. Local Birds
Depending on your location, local birds could be the culprit.
If you see more top-down damage on fruits high on the vine, it’s oftentimes your local birds trying to get a taste.
Pecking damage is also a pretty distinctive, deep gouge that looks like it came from a beak.
A common way to discourage this is by placing a net or mesh over the top, similar to squirrels.
By providing more bird-friendly plants elsewhere in the garden, such as sunflower and marigold or any other local seed-bearing plants, you can encourage biodiversity in your backyard and increase pollination while keeping your precious fruits and veggies safe.
Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are the messiest eaters of the garden pests.
They commonly trample tomato plants in the process of seeking out the fruits, and will often branch out into beans, peas, and corn as well.
They’re a common nuisance that can tear down entire gardens if left unchecked.
Groundhogs are especially difficult to control when they’re damaging plants, as they live in burrows with mounds at the entrances of the holes.
They’re wily and surprisingly fast underground, so the only reliable option is to trap and relocate them.
It’s recommended to let a local professional do it as humanely as possible.
Rabbits, one of the most common animals that eat tomato plants, are a regular forager of gardens.
These garden pests are relatively neat eaters that will rip off chunks of leaves without leaving behind any jagged edges.
They’ve also been known to eat the fruit and seedlings as well, usually during the evening, night, and early morning.
You may also like: Home Remedies to Keep Skunks AwayRabbits don’t like to travel far from their burrow to eat, so if you suspect rabbits it’s best to begin by searching for their home to confirm.
Should this continue being a problem, electric rabbit fences are a popular deterrent – they consist of two wires that lightly shock the rabbits’ ears, which startles but doesn’t injure them.
Deer are voracious eaters, and backyard gardens are common easy targets for their appetite.
They’ll graze on all parts of the tomato plant and will leave little behind.
To keep their energy up, deer need to eat as much as 7 pounds of vegetation per day.
It’s rare to actually see the deer eating your garden, but their tracks tell a different story.
If you’re worried about deer in your garden, strong-smelling deterrents around the garden may deter them for a short time.
This is only short term as deer are surprisingly intelligent and can become accustomed to unusual smells.
The best deterrent is a dog – both the scent and the barking are good ways to ensure deer don’t return for your tomatoes.
This Liquid Fence Animal Deterrent on Amazon stops deer and rabbits in their tracks!
Voles can cause considerable damage to tomato plants and are a common pest for backyard gardeners.
Voles are the most common culprit if entire plants are severed, as they like to chew through stems and leaves.
Further evidence of voles is narrow grooves in the leaves that are created by the animal’s two front teeth.
The best way to discourage voles is by destroying their local tunnels; they’re usually located in leaves or grassy areas near the garden.
The bright side is voles usually end up controlled rather quickly, as they attract owls and hawks that eventually keep the population back under control.
Raccoons are considered the most intelligent of the garden pests, even if the tree squirrel isn’t far behind.
A fence that’s effective against raccoons must be at least 4 feet tall with another food buried in the ground to prevent digging holes in yards, which can be difficult to install and maintain.
The best way to protect your tomatoes from raccoons is to be preemptive and stop them from nesting in your yard in the first place.
It can be frustrating when tomatoes get eaten after working so hard on the garden, but thankfully there are many ways to prevent damage to your plants and the animals that want them.
Preemptive measures are best, such as providing other alternate options, strong-smelling deodorants, and fake predators to deter smaller animals.
It can end up being rewarding having a positive relationship with your own backyard animals, even through them being in your garden, and eventually, they lead to healthier soil and bigger plants for you.
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