New, extremely greed tomato theif

[Dewayne mater]

Well, Mr. Greedy likes Big Beef, green or blushing and had a few more last night. There are many of them, so I'm ok. I'm getting really irritated though because he also likes green Goose Creek's and has had 1/2 of my small crop (zero for me!).

I'm going to go to home depot and see what my fencing options are. If I can find something like chicken wire but 5-6 feet tall, I'm going to wrap both growing areas entirely and see who wins! My city doesn't allow trapping without a permit, so that is the next option, but I have to get the permit.

I've been henny penny for too long for this dude to eat all the bread!!

Dewayne mater

[Ken4230]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

My city doesn't allow trapping without a permit, so that is the next option, but I have to get the permit.

I've been henny penny for too long for this dude to eat all the bread!!

Dewayne mater

We are in a world of hurt when the great state of Texas requires a permit for trap and release. I think i would begin a silent campaign of civil disobedience and move the little offenders to the woods.

[Dewayne mater]

Ken - crazy I know. Suburbia! They will loan you traps or you can own one, but either way, they say you must sign a trap agreement. Most of the conditions are reasonable and no cost is involved. However, one condition is just insane...you can't set them in harsh weather conditions...under 40, over 95 or on weekends. I know they are trying to prevent killing via exposure, but, come on, enough with the regulations!

D.M.

[ChrisK]

Good luck. I either have the worlds smartest or dumbest squirrels. They completely ignore the havahart with peanut butter and go straight for the Sungolds, which they have stripped clean. I tried netting last year but it was a pain in the neck. ScottinAtlanta has a good setup, I think he completely encloses his entire bed.

[efisakov]

Dwayne, every time new post appears on this thread, I am hoping you have resolved your problem.
Sorry you have to deal with it. We all learning from your experience. I wanted to get a bird feeder, had being reading about rats problems on line, made me change my mind. I do not want to attract them or squirrels in a first place. It is not easy to deter them. If you do not get rid of them now, they multiply and would try to move in with you.

[Vespertino]

You should see my father in-law and his solution to pesky varmints... He does it the old fashioned way: with firearms. Sadly that's not a solution generally allowed in urban areas.

Good luck with the fencing project, I have a feeling it will work out and the racoons won't be able to freeload off your garden for much longer.

[cythaenopsis]

Originally Posted by efisakov

I do not want to attract them or squirrels in a first place. It is not easy to deter them. If you do not get rid of them now, they multiply and would try to move in with you.

I know exactly what you mean. My mother loves to feed the birds during the winter, so she puts out several bird feeders including a suet cage. The squirrels enjoy the challenge. On top of that, she has had a mouse problem and they repeatedly get into her seed stores in the house, despite my recommendations to foil it. She doesn't want to "kill the cute little things." She can't grow any vegetables because everything gets eaten. I think she hasn't helped the situation!

[Dewayne mater]

Well, fail again last night! GRRRRR. Current efforts - 5 foot fencing around everything, general pest deterrent pellets and mothballs on the ground, fairly large have a heart trap set out and a big plate of cat food out too, and some of the partly eaten tomatoes set out for whatever it is to finish off and rat traps. Nope, they want the green ones still on the vine. 2 dozen big beef from one plant alone, at least as many black and brown boar and others as well, but those two are the favorite. FYI - the cat food thought was that if they had an easier source of calories, for now, I'll feed them until I can get the crop off the vine. Probably not a great practice, but, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Doesn't appear that any of the cat food was eaten and the trap is empty.

I think I have to be dealing with raccoons, but don't have hard proof, just deductions.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. It helps in what is so frustrating an issue. You all know how we baby plants from seeds, through diseases, pests and then, just when I was about to have possibly my most bountiful harvest ever, a new issues thwarts me!

Last thing I can thing of for now, which I plan to try in addition to the other stuff, is bird netting over everything. Perhaps a raccoon won't like that. This has me thinking about set ups that some of you employ with large center posts and chicken wire over the entire growing area. Never thought I'd need that, but, it appears I was wrong.

Hope to have better news soon!

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

Well, fail again last night! GRRRRR. Current efforts - 5 foot fencing around everything, general pest deterrent pellets and mothballs on the ground, fairly large have a heart trap set out and a big plate of cat food out too, and some of the partly eaten tomatoes set out for whatever it is to finish off. Nope, they want the green ones still on the vine. 2 dozen big beef from one plant alone, at least as many black and brown boar and others as well, but those two are the favorite. FYI - the cat food thought was that if they had an easier source of calories, for now, I'll feed them until I can get the crop off the vine. Probably not a great practice, but, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Doesn't appear that any of the cat food was eaten and the trap is empty.

I think I have to be dealing with raccoons, but don't have hard proof, just deductions.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. It helps in what is so frustrating an issue. You all know how we baby plants from seeds, through diseases, pests and then, just when I was about to have possibly my most bountiful harvest ever, a new issues thwarts me!

Last thing I can thing of for now, which I plan to try in addition to the other stuff, is bird netting over everything. Perhaps a raccoon won't like that. This has me thinking about set ups that some of you employ with large center posts and chicken wire over the entire growing area. Never thought I'd need that, but, it appears I was wrong.

Hope to have better news soon!

Racoons love whole peanuts in the shell. My friend used to buy a bagful every week to feed them, they went crazy for it.
Might be cheaper than cat food?
Marsha

[cythaenopsis]

Have you heard about motion sensitive water sprinklers? They're designed to go off once motion is detected, spraying offending animals with water and frightening them off. Here's an example: Scarecrow Automatic Animal Deterrent

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

Have you heard about motion sensitive water sprinklers? They're designed to go off once motion is detected, spraying offending animals with water and frightening them off. Here's an example: Scarecrow Automatic Animal Deterrent

Ive seen these things in peoples yards and thought they were just some wacky yard ornament.

[bds54]

Looks like rats to me.

[tnkrer]

So far I had not seen anything steal my tomatoes .. (I had gotten 1-2 from each plant so far) and today the thief struck. 3 from early girl and 5-6 cherries from each cherry plant. They left no evidence.

So I feel your pain acutely. and I have only 5 tomato plants. So every tomato I lose feels that much worse . Right now I am hoping that the varmint(s) wont be able to reach higher levels of trusses. At least that seemed to be the case last year.

[tnkrer]

trap set



And hopefully the perp caught.



How far away should I go to release the squirrel? Havahart guys say 3 miles and preferrably across a highway and beyond a body of water! OK then

And would/could the squirrel climb the tomato and cuke plant to eat the fruits? To decide if indeed this squirrel did it.) The perp was doing that. (Ate a brandywine at about 2.5 ft height and a took a piece of small cuke about 3 foot high)

[ChrisK]

You need to go MANY miles away. It also potentially transfers your problem to someone else, hence it is often illegal to relocate the vermin. I prefer to dispatch as humanely as possible. If you do release, pick the other side of a very busy highway...

And yes, they climb quite well into tomato bushes. I had a whole clan that used my Florida Weave strings as a highway, stopping off often to eat every single cherry tomato before moving on to the larger fruits. Once they acquire a taste for tomatoes they wont stop, ever. I am convinced they teach the other ones as well.

Originally Posted by tnkrer

trap set



And hopefully the perp caught.



How far away should I go to release the squirrel? Havahart guys say 3 miles and preferrably across a highway and beyond a body of water! OK then

And would/could the squirrel climb the tomato and cuke plant to eat the fruits? To decide if indeed this squirrel did it.) The perp was doing that. (Ate a brandywine at about 2.5 ft height and a took a piece of small cuke about 3 foot high)