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What's Biting My Ripe Tomatoes? (350 Plants)

Question: Something takes single bites from low-hanging ripe tomatoes (350 plants). Rabbit? Other ideas?

Answer: Many Suspects—Check Evidence

Likely Culprits & Clues

Suspect	Typical Damage	Evidence
Rabbits	Clean bites, low fruit	Pellet droppings, 45° stem cuts
Birds	Peck holes, multiple fruit	Feathers, droppings, daylight activity
Squirrels/Chipmunks	Single bites, carry off	Gnaw marks, daylight
Turtles	Low fruit, slow	Tracks, near water
Tomato hornworms	Chew fruit surface	Large caterpillars, frass
Rats/Groundhogs	Usually take whole fruit	Burrows, gnaw marks
Possums/Skunks	Opportunistic	Tracks, nocturnal

Diagnostic Steps

Examine tooth/beak marks on damaged fruit
Smooth soil around plants; check tracks next morning
Trail camera if available

With 350 plants, some loss is inevitable. Target the main culprit once identified.

Pests: Black Spots on Tomato Seeds: Natural Variation, Not Disease—Fruit Safe to Eat; Tomato Hornworm in Wilmington, NC: Identification and Control; Protecting Seeds from Rodents with Mint Seed Treatment; Sunflower Seedlings Eaten: Rolly‑Polies (Pill Bugs), Not Slugs; Best Tomato Variety for Home Gardeners: 'Celebrity'; Container Tomatoes on a Deck: Varieties, Soil & Calcium Tricks; Identifying and Managing Tomato Blight from Photos; Spotted, Slow-Ripening Tomatoes? Weather or Disease—Here's How to Tell; Tomato Grafting for Disease Resistance: A Home Gardener's Guide; Tomato Damage: Turtles Eat Low Fruit, Squirrels and Birds Take the Rest

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