Something eating them - need a poop identification expert

tam91 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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

Labradors2 · July 28, 2015

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

Linda

tam91 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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

tam91 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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

tam91 · July 28, 2015

Quote:

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 · July 28, 2015

Quote:

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 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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 · July 28, 2015

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.

July 28, 2015	#2
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	To me, doesn't look like raccoon, or even bunny - but I am not a wild animal poop expert. __________________ Tracy

July 28, 2015	#4
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	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... __________________ Tracy

July 28, 2015	#6
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I agree. Looks like evidence of a hornworm. Time to break out the Dipel. __________________ Michele

July 28, 2015	#7
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	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. __________________ Tracy

July 28, 2015	#8
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	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 __________________ Tracy

July 28, 2015	#3
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,896	Hornworms! I suggest you get out there and have a good look for the perps! Linda

July 28, 2015	#9
GardeningCook Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 115	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. __________________ My body is a temple. Unfortunately, it's a fixer-upper.

July 28, 2015	#15
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	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.