I thank everyone for their suggestions and thought I'd tell my solution in
case anyone else might want to try it.
I cut up an old sheet of metal door screening that we'd kept rolled in the
garage with all the other junk that might come in useful someday. The stuff
bends easily so made screen cage like barriers around the upper parts of the
plants where the tomatoes are. This seems to be doing the trick.

But dang I wish it'd rain.

"frinjdwelr" wrote in message
...
How does one keep tomatoes safe from chipmunks who love to eat them even
before they start to ripen? The little buggers can climb anywhere.Was
going to try small plastic bags around each tomato clump, but fear they'll
chew right through.