Is it safe to eat

[mayax68]

Hi all

I am suffering from invasion of birds and small critters who keep grazing my tomatoes. At this point I had not yet picked any tomatoes and lost 7-8 large beef stakes to critters. Is it safe to eat a tomato that had been poked by a bird or grazed on one side by some rodent( squirrel, chipmunk...), if I cut off the side impacted and leave only what is visibly not touched?

Thank am watching for a slight color to appear to beat the critters but we have had drought conditions and tomatoes attacked while still green

[Salsacharley]

I might eat a fruit that was freshly pecked at (after cutting out the damaged area) but not if I couldn't tell if the wound was fresh within less than a day old. I have cut away a half a fruit (tomatoes and peaches in my experience) and eaten the good half if I can see no bad stuff around the good part. How's that for a scientific evaluation?

[Shrinkrap]

I've eaten recently pecked pluots and nectarines. Birds know what's UP!

[imp]

Try putting out a bird bath or a lower watering bowl for the critters, you may save your tomatoes. Put it a bit away from the garden area if possible.

[Dark Rumor]

I am hesitant to eat tomatoes that have been eaten by a bird or rodent, so generally I pass on them, I do not know if it is safe, but I have wondered the same thing

I do several things to appease the birds and squirrels:
1. I buy corn and spread the corn out in the areas where the squirrels forage, I do not put lots of corn out at one time in a pile. This generally will stop the squirrels from grabbing green tomatoes.
2. I wrap bigger tomatoes in green frost cloth and I pick all tomatoes at first blush. I also started experimenting with the mesh bags and cups to keep the stink bugs off the fruit.
3. This year I grew an early girl for the mocking birds, I let them ripen and the mocking birds prefer ripened tomatoes and they only pecked the ripe tomatoes on the early girl bush. Also if the birds peck a tomato I leave it, they will come back and finish it instead of going to another tomato
4. Any tomatoes that fall off the vine or have worm damage, etc, I place those tomatoes in the area where the squirrels forage. I also give the squirrels the scraps from peeling tomatoes, they eat them.
5. I also grow more tomatoes than I can eat, so I do not miss losing a few.
Seems like everything likes tomatoes,

[brownrexx]

I just cut out those parts and eat the rest. I would rather eat a tomato with bird or rodent damage than one sprayed with a pesticide.

[slugworth]

Mr. Yuck
Better safe than sore.
Rats eat thru the mesh bags like pictured above.
I lost 90% of the crop to bites and pecks and hurricane.