Protecting tomatoes from the “one biters”. - Page 3

elight · May 14, 2018

I have used mesh drawstring bags from Amazon and they worked pretty well. The white ones were out of stock so I had to get pink, which adds a nice pop of color to the garden!

This time around I haven't had any issues yet... Not sure if it's a seasonal issue here or if the removal of the fruit trees in my yard (and the fruit they dropped) has made the squirrels and such go elsewhere.

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MayApril · May 14, 2018

I use pantyhose socks called maggot barriers. You get 288 of them for a few dollars. I forgot how much I paid but they work and still get ripe from the sun. You put them on before they turn any color. You can wash and reuse them. Keeps insects from them also. I tie them using the extra nylon or if the tomato is really large, a supermarket twist tie. Different sites sell them. It is not worth it putting them on cherry tomatoes but I notice birds do not bother my cherries like they do the bigger ones. I always womder why they dont pick on the size that seems bite size for them.

hornstrider · May 14, 2018

I pick at first blush, and do not have issues w/ birds ect. It does not affect the taste of the tomato, and I have proof.

Gardeneer · May 15, 2018

I don,t have a critter problem. I have lots of water around the garden for the birds.
My issue is Stinky Stink Bugs. I hunt them ( push them into soap water jar). I will have to spray with Malathion, Permatrin (sp?) and Sevin. They also love okra. Darn it.

Poohtoo8 · May 15, 2018

Thanks so much for some great advice!

habitat_gardener · May 15, 2018

Critters biting (and possibly people stealing) my tomatoes is what drove me to plant mostly not- red tomatoes some years ago! I also pick them at first blush — which also helped them survive the 2-4 mile bike ride when I lived that distance from the community gardens. In addition, I also planted more cherries, figuring that if those got stolen, I wouldn’t notice and wouldn’t care.

May 15, 2018	#34
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	I don,t have a critter problem. I have lots of water around the garden for the birds. My issue is Stinky Stink Bugs. I hunt them ( push them into soap water jar). I will have to spray with Malathion, Permatrin (sp?) and Sevin. They also love okra. Darn it. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

May 14, 2018	#31
elight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Allentown, PA Posts: 349	I have used mesh drawstring bags from Amazon and they worked pretty well. The white ones were out of stock so I had to get pink, which adds a nice pop of color to the garden! This time around I haven't had any issues yet... Not sure if it's a seasonal issue here or if the removal of the fruit trees in my yard (and the fruit they dropped) has made the squirrels and such go elsewhere. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

May 14, 2018	#32
MayApril Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5	I use pantyhose socks called maggot barriers. You get 288 of them for a few dollars. I forgot how much I paid but they work and still get ripe from the sun. You put them on before they turn any color. You can wash and reuse them. Keeps insects from them also. I tie them using the extra nylon or if the tomato is really large, a supermarket twist tie. Different sites sell them. It is not worth it putting them on cherry tomatoes but I notice birds do not bother my cherries like they do the bigger ones. I always womder why they dont pick on the size that seems bite size for them.

May 14, 2018	#33
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	I pick at first blush, and do not have issues w/ birds ect. It does not affect the taste of the tomato, and I have proof.

May 15, 2018	#35
Poohtoo8 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Independence, KY Posts: 48	Thanks so much for some great advice!

May 15, 2018	#36
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	Critters biting (and possibly people stealing) my tomatoes is what drove me to plant mostly not- red tomatoes some years ago! I also pick them at first blush — which also helped them survive the 2-4 mile bike ride when I lived that distance from the community gardens. In addition, I also planted more cherries, figuring that if those got stolen, I wouldn’t notice and wouldn’t care.