Help - something is eating my stems!

soozbz · June 6, 2020

Hi, all! Something is taking gigantic chunks out of my tomato stems and totally destroying them. See attached photos. I've never seen anything like it!

Does anyone know who the culprit might be? I've picked a few brown caterpillars off of these plants, but I've never seen a caterpillar do this to a stem. I've also got squirrels and birds around who like to steal my tomatoes, but I've never seen them take in interest in stems, either.

In addition, any thoughts on how I can save plants whose stems have been devoured? Can I wrap them with something, or should I just leave them be and hope for the best?

MissS · June 7, 2020

It looks like some kind of rodent got to them. Chipmunks, rabbits maybe a squirrel but unlikely.

slugworth · June 7, 2020

rats or mice

JRinPA · June 7, 2020

maybe for water? i have never seen that before. how high up is that?

Tonio · June 7, 2020

Definitely rodents... you can see the 2 teeth carving in the scrape of their bite.

I've seen rats eat into plastic food bin around the lid, that appear just like that. They need to chew(grind the teeth) on something to keep their teeth from getting too long.

tryno12 · June 8, 2020

I just posted a question in "pests" forum wondering what chopped off 2 10" dwarfs right to the ground and left no scraps anywhere? seen rabbits chop seedlings but never a 10" thick stemmed dwarf!! Vole maybe?

soozbz · June 10, 2020

Now this has happened to four different tomato plants, kind of close-ish to the bottom - generally about 6-12" up the stem. So weird - the only rodents I've ever seen in my yard are squirrels, but I've never seen them do anything like this. Maybe y'all are right that we have rats or mice or something?

Any advice on how to stop this? I've been hoping to avoid putting netting around everything, but maybe it can't be helped. Or if they're doing this for water, maybe I should just put out some water for them...?

JRinPA · June 10, 2020

I don't know...trail cam time? Maybe a wrap a little wire cage from 1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth, like for deer protection on a sapling? If it was 1993 I would say chupacabra?

JRinPA · June 10, 2020

At 12", groundhog? Or whatever you have down there. I hope they are not rats that big...

Soilsniffer · June 11, 2020

Groundhogs, that's what I was thinking as I read through the thread. I've seen similar destruction on various plants here.

What I think it is: Groundhog is hungry, takes a big ol' bite out of a stem, says 'Yuck!' (it is a tomato stem after all, yuck), and moves on to something more palatable.

Sometimes on my smaller stems, groundhog bites thru the entire stem, the top 95% of the plant falls and lies horizontally right beside the stem stump that remains after groundhog takes a single big bite, says 'yuck' and moves on.

Groundhog solution? A 2' high wire fence (groundhogs laugh at netting), with an additional 8 inches buried underground.

I guess plan B is ... *Bang!*. We're allowed to do that to groundhogs here in VA.

soozbz · June 13, 2020

Ha, love the idea of some rodent trying to snack on the stems and then realizing they are to gross to eat!

I don't think we have groundhogs in Texas, but maybe it could be a possum or something? Kind of surprising that most of my other plants are fine - whatever it is isn't bothering with the cucumbers and zucchini, and is barely stealing any tomatoes. If it's looking for a snack, it has plenty of options that it's ignoring for some reason. So maybe the theory that something is just sharpening its teeth on my stems is right?

Anyway, I will try to find some kind of wire netting to wrap my stems with and see if that works!

June 7, 2020	#2
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,149	It looks like some kind of rodent got to them. Chipmunks, rabbits maybe a squirrel but unlikely. __________________ ~ Patti ~

June 7, 2020	#5
Tonio Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 148	Definitely rodents... you can see the 2 teeth carving in the scrape of their bite. I've seen rats eat into plastic food bin around the lid, that appear just like that. They need to chew(grind the teeth) on something to keep their teeth from getting too long. Last edited by Tonio; June 7, 2020 at 11:52 PM.

June 11, 2020	#10
Soilsniffer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: z7, Richmond VA Posts: 187	Groundhogs, that's what I was thinking as I read through the thread. I've seen similar destruction on various plants here. What I think it is: Groundhog is hungry, takes a big ol' bite out of a stem, says 'Yuck!' (it is a tomato stem after all, yuck), and moves on to something more palatable. Sometimes on my smaller stems, groundhog bites thru the entire stem, the top 95% of the plant falls and lies horizontally right beside the stem stump that remains after groundhog takes a single big bite, says 'yuck' and moves on. Groundhog solution? A 2' high wire fence (groundhogs laugh at netting), with an additional 8 inches buried underground. I guess plan B is ... Bang!. We're allowed to do that to groundhogs here in VA. __________________ Identifying garlic is done mostly by consensus. Many are like trying to identify the difference between twins. Last edited by Soilsniffer; June 11, 2020 at 10:28 AM.

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June 7, 2020	#3
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	rats or mice

June 7, 2020	#4
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 972	maybe for water? i have never seen that before. how high up is that?

June 8, 2020	#6
tryno12 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Indianapolis Area 46112 Posts: 857	I just posted a question in "pests" forum wondering what chopped off 2 10" dwarfs right to the ground and left no scraps anywhere? seen rabbits chop seedlings but never a 10" thick stemmed dwarf!! Vole maybe?

June 10, 2020	#8
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 972	I don't know...trail cam time? Maybe a wrap a little wire cage from 1/4" or 1/2" hardware cloth, like for deer protection on a sapling? If it was 1993 I would say chupacabra?

June 13, 2020	#11
soozbz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 12	Ha, love the idea of some rodent trying to snack on the stems and then realizing they are to gross to eat! I don't think we have groundhogs in Texas, but maybe it could be a possum or something? Kind of surprising that most of my other plants are fine - whatever it is isn't bothering with the cucumbers and zucchini, and is barely stealing any tomatoes. If it's looking for a snack, it has plenty of options that it's ignoring for some reason. So maybe the theory that something is just sharpening its teeth on my stems is right? Anyway, I will try to find some kind of wire netting to wrap my stems with and see if that works!