Gone !

Tomstrees · April 24, 2008

Interesting thing happened this morning ...

Last night I thought to myself: "hey its been super warm out - why not pot up a tomato plant and bring it into the shed at night".

So I potted up my lone Galina's seedling and put it in the shed for night time warmth. This morning, I went to bring it out to bask in the sun and guess what? It was gone ! All gone !!! Stem and all !!!

Only thing I could think of was a field mouse eating it ???

Bummed to say the least

...

~ Tom

creister · April 24, 2008

How horrible. I would guess you are correct about the culprit. Time for a mouse trap.

velikipop · April 24, 2008

Tom,

Funny story!!! I had a similar experience with my sunflower seedlings recently. I lost four, probably to a rabbit. My fault because I forgot to put plastic caps on them overnight. The rabbit has been hanging around our area and my dogs would love to chase him. Maybe, we'll be having rabbit stew soon.

duajones · April 24, 2008

That is a bummer!!!

amideutch · April 24, 2008

Tom, everybody knows you grow such good seedlings. I guess word got out to the rodent population. Looks like war to me. Will it be claymores, bouncing betties or a "BAC". Ami

blatanna · April 24, 2008

I know its not funny but when i read it i just had to laugh. I could just imagine your face when you went to bring your plant out again and found it all gone. If i were in that mouses shoes i sure would be very scared.

Tomstrees · April 25, 2008

lol ~ I stood there is awe ! Like "where the "heck" did it go" ???

Traps have been put in place - its us against them now ~

~ Tom

Tomstrees · April 26, 2008

ok - so I'm gonna try this again ... lets see if they "like" Sophies Choice ...

~ Tom

creister · April 28, 2008

Peanut butter smeared on small piece of cotton ball, smashed up into the bait holder = instant death for rodents.

Mojo · April 28, 2008

I could send in Kaiser Ludwig, he's murder on rodents up to a Norwegian Wharf Rat. But then who would sit in my lap at night?

I'm thinking larger than field mouse. Wood rat? Small raccoon that has found a secret entrance?

**coronabarb** · April 28, 2008

Tom, LOL, I know the feeling! Several years ago, I had planted out probably 20 tomatoes, made a plot map and all. The next day, I went out and looked at a certain spot, scratching my head and mumbling, "I KNOW I planted a tomato here". All I could see was a weed. On closer inspection, the weed was the tomato leaves smashed against the ground. A gopher came up from underneath and yanked the whole plant underground...leaving the larger leaves above ground. Yeah, talk about MAD!!

jenn_sc · April 29, 2008

Tom, was that the only Galina's plant you had? Do you have time to start more seeds?

I can't believe you're going to put another plant out there without knowing for sure what got the Galinas...you must have extras...right???

Jennifer

Tomstrees · April 29, 2008

Nope - no more Galinas - so I potted up a Sophies Choice and guess what happened? IT HAPPENED AGAIN !!!

Now I was really mad ...

So - after asking around, I came to the conclusion that this could be only one pest INSIDE my shed, as I doubt cutworms would be in bagged potting soil... Has to be a field mouse !

So I got 2 traps - and set one of them on Sunday night with just a dab of peanut butter (I don't wanna waste my fav. butter on rodents) ...

And to not get too gross but I had "success" when I went out to the shed on Monday morning before work. I'm going to set it again in case he brought friends to the "tomato seedling tasting" a few days before that may be lingering around looking for tender tomato vittles ...

~ Tom

ps. the 3rd plant is doing fine now -

pss. this pest also chowed a couple of house plants I had out there as well

psss. who would have thought ???!!

dcarch · April 29, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomstrees

Nope - no more Galinas - so I potted up a Sophies Choice and guess what happened? IT HAPPENED AGAIN !!!

Now I was really mad ... ----------------~ Tom

----!!

I think it's your new wife. You are spending too much time with your tomatoes.

dcarch

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · April 29, 2008

Best thing to bait traps for mice is plain old white flour.

April 24, 2008	#1
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Gone ! Interesting thing happened this morning ... Last night I thought to myself: "hey its been super warm out - why not pot up a tomato plant and bring it into the shed at night". So I potted up my lone Galina's seedling and put it in the shed for night time warmth. This morning, I went to bring it out to bask in the sun and guess what? It was gone ! All gone !!! Stem and all !!! Only thing I could think of was a field mouse eating it ??? Bummed to say the least ... ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 24, 2008	#3
velikipop Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Langley, BC Posts: 768	Tom, Funny story!!! I had a similar experience with my sunflower seedlings recently. I lost four, probably to a rabbit. My fault because I forgot to put plastic caps on them overnight. The rabbit has been hanging around our area and my dogs would love to chase him. Maybe, we'll be having rabbit stew soon. __________________ I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf Bob Dylan

April 24, 2008	#5
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Tom, everybody knows you grow such good seedlings. I guess word got out to the rodent population. Looks like war to me. Will it be claymores, bouncing betties or a "BAC". Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

April 24, 2008	#6
blatanna Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 150	I know its not funny but when i read it i just had to laugh. I could just imagine your face when you went to bring your plant out again and found it all gone. If i were in that mouses shoes i sure would be very scared. __________________ Blatanna

April 25, 2008	#7
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	lol ~ I stood there is awe ! Like "where the "heck" did it go" ??? Traps have been put in place - its us against them now ~ ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 24, 2008	#2
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	How horrible. I would guess you are correct about the culprit. Time for a mouse trap.

April 24, 2008	#4
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	That is a bummer!!!

April 26, 2008	#8
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	ok - so I'm gonna try this again ... lets see if they "like" Sophies Choice ... ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

April 28, 2008	#9
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Peanut butter smeared on small piece of cotton ball, smashed up into the bait holder = instant death for rodents.

April 28, 2008	#10
Mojo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 317	I could send in Kaiser Ludwig, he's murder on rodents up to a Norwegian Wharf Rat. But then who would sit in my lap at night? I'm thinking larger than field mouse. Wood rat? Small raccoon that has found a secret entrance? __________________ There is no logical response to the question, "Why won't you let me plant more tomatoes?"

April 28, 2008	#11
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Tom, LOL, I know the feeling! Several years ago, I had planted out probably 20 tomatoes, made a plot map and all. The next day, I went out and looked at a certain spot, scratching my head and mumbling, "I KNOW I planted a tomato here". All I could see was a weed. On closer inspection, the weed was the tomato leaves smashed against the ground. A gopher came up from underneath and yanked the whole plant underground...leaving the larger leaves above ground. Yeah, talk about MAD!! __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

April 29, 2008	#12
jenn_sc SPLATT™ Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florence, SC Posts: 502	Tom, was that the only Galina's plant you had? Do you have time to start more seeds? I can't believe you're going to put another plant out there without knowing for sure what got the Galinas...you must have extras...right??? Jennifer

April 29, 2008	#15
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN Posts: 967	Best thing to bait traps for mice is plain old white flour.