Something eating them - need a poop identification expert

[tam91]

Aaaah! Every ripe tomato half eaten or mostly eaten. Never had any problems at this garden before. But in the last couple days (while I wasn't there) they struck - and left a whole bunch of poop.

I may have 2 culprits - the green tomato shown was eaten waist high - nibbles out of all the green ones at the very top of the plant.

Everything else ripe tomatoes eaten at the bottom.

So.... who can identify this poop? Gophers? It looks like it is greenish when new.

[tam91]

To me, doesn't look like raccoon, or even bunny - but I am not a wild animal poop expert.

[Labradors2]

Hornworms! I suggest you get out there and have a good look for the perps!

Linda

[tam91]

Hornworms would make lots pellets like that all over the ground? And not one leaf has been touched - only the ripe tomatoes at the bottom of the plant?

When I had hornworms before, they practically defoliated the plant...

[Labradors2]

They definitely look like hornworm pellets to me - and yes, they would drop them all over the ground. They're not toilet-trained you know . I don't know why they don't like the leaves. Maybe they find the fruit more tasty?

Linda

[shelleybean]

I agree. Looks like evidence of a hornworm. Time to break out the Dipel.

[tam91]

Haha well yes, they'd be on the ground - but they are not on the plants nor under the plants - there are TONS of pellets between the rows, and they are wide rows. But not one leaf touched.

[tam91]

Hmm well they do look like the right droppings. But I didn't think they ate tomatoes, I'll have to google. Unless I have hornworms AND a critter eating tomatoes? eeeek

[GardeningCook]

I'm thinking you may have more than one culprit there. The droppings are definitely Hornworm, but intensive fruit predation like in your pics screams squirrel/raccoon/possum/deer/whatever mammal.

[tam91]

And I guess I will be off to dust the plants - thanks!

[tam91]

Originally Posted by GardeningCook

I'm thinking you may have more than one culprit there. The droppings are definitely Hornworm, but intensive fruit predation like in your pics screams squirrel/raccoon/possum/deer/whatever mammal.

I wonder - the waist high I would guess a deer came by and nibbled the green ones.

The other tomatoes though, like the little nibble on the sungold - that looks like something smaller to me. No raccoon poop around - I know what that looks like, and nothing really torn up. They tell me they don't have squirrels around, and wonder about gophers? I would have thought if it was rabbits, they would have eaten my beans.

So... dusting for hornworms. Maybe putting out some rat traps... Any other ideas?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by GardeningCook

I'm thinking you may have more than one culprit there. The droppings are definitely Hornworm, but intensive fruit predation like in your pics screams squirrel/raccoon/possum/deer/whatever mammal.

Agreed! The poop is definitely caterpillar frass, could be also tomato fruitworms. The bites on the fruit look just like mine when mr and mrs rat come by.

Have you seen these have a heart type traps? I bait them with peanut butter and a piece or 2 of banana, they like that much better than tomatoes, works great. To date we have caught 14 rats and relocated them to nearby woods a few miles away.

[Labradors2]

Tam, If you're not too squeamish, the best thing you could do would be to go out there and pick off the hornworms. You don't really need to use chemicals on them. They live on the plants and they're not going to run away!

It's entirely possible that you have furry varmints chomping on your ripe maters and the hornworms are lower down demolishing the leaves......

Linda

[tam91]

I wouldn't mind squishing hornworms but trying to find all of them on 40 dense plants seems too difficult. So I think I will dust them.

Rats? blech! ok, I will bait whatever I get for gophers and rats. Ewwwwww!

[Salsacharley]

I've never experienced horn worms eating only fruit. As a matter of fact, I find they hardly ever eat fruit, although they do some. Admittedly, the fruit shown here does look like horn worm damage. I've had plants eaten by 20% by one horn worm but no fruit on the plant eaten. I also find it hard to believe the horn worm poop wouldn't be on leaves below the plants. I wouldn't even be able to see the poop on the ground unless there were dozens of worms, and if that were the case there wouldn't be any plants left. Just my opinion.