On Aug 15, 7:01 pm, Paul Cassel
wrote:
Of the four tomato plants we have, one is being attacked by an unknown
animal. It only eats the tomatoes themselves but takes rather large
bites out of them. My wife (the gardener) says the bites may be caused
by a hornworm (?) except there are no other signs of hornworms so she
rules that out.

She thinks it may be a rodent. I suppose there may be mice around. Do
mice eat tomatoes? These bites are roughly 5 mm x 3 mm. Any other ideas?

Just guessing: are the bites only on the lower-most tomatoes? I had
this problem in my garden one year and blamed rabbits and squirrels.
Whatever was eating my tomatoes would take only a bite or two from
one, then go on to another... why not eat a single tomato completely
and leave the others alone?

I caught the varmint in the act: It was a woodchuck. It could reach
only as high as it could stand on its back legs, so tomatoes higher on
the plants survived intact through the rest of the season. I now keep
my "rabbit fence" in place even after my spring vegetables are gone--
this season no one's eating my tomatoes but me and my family.

I've written a few blog entries about tomatoes--if you have a chance,
please take a look at: http://www.smallkitchengarden.net/sm...sucker-plucker
and http://www.smallkitchengarden.net/sm...omatoes-a-mess