as my tomatoes ripen i see something has been taking small bites out of the tomatoes and in some cases 50% of the tomatoe is eaten and left on the ground. I live in RI . i installed a new5' fence this year with a smaller screening( 1/4 sq opening) 18" all around the base of the fence even buried 6" into the ground. don't knowif i have VOLES or chipmunicks doing it --

any ideas of how i can stop this
thanks
lou

Hmmm, sounds a lot like my experience with skunks and tomatoes (imagine that, skunks like tomatoes!) But with your fence, maybe raccoons are the culprit, as they can climb.

One trick that has worked for me in the past is to sprinkle wood ashes on the tomato plants. And its good for the soil, too! Just don't overdo it and don't do it on a breezy day

Another suggestion could be live traps. I can rent them from my local hardware store, which is cheaper than buying them. Raccoons love canned dog food so use that for bait. Only quirk is that raccoons are nocturnal and so are skunks, which I imagine love dog food too.

DOOO check with your local DNR to make sure you can live trap and relocate critters.

Good luck and keep us posted

Liz

My bro lives in a very rural area. For the past few years he's been using fox urine on the perimiter of his garden (no fence). He claims the coons don't get his sweet corn. A few drops here and there is what he does. Reapply as needed after a rain. I know this works in a sub-division type setting where squirels bother potted plants.

HTH..have fun...notnew....

...when i was into gardening (pre-arthritis) i had this problem also. i found this solution to work very well for me. hope this helps.

I don't know, but birds?

fox urine ($20) did nothing to hinder the squirrels seeking my tomatoes. maybe because there aren't foxes in my immediate area; squirrels don't know to be scared!

My guess would be Mice...thats what they do ...set a mouse trap bated with peanut butter and see what happens...better put a string on the trap and tie it to a stake or it may disappear.