Do squirrels steal tomatoes?

[troubleinwinter]

My daughter has apples stolen by the squirrels & she's wondering about growing tomatoes.

[flying_wahini]

1. Yes they do !

At least "mine" do.....

[troubleinwinter]

2. Thanks. I think if I were a squirrel, I would too!

[Blue Gardener]

3. Yes

I've seen them enjoy a cherry tomato or two.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

4. they go after strawberries also

I saw one in my yard, was afraid it was hurt, here it was juice from the strawberries it had been eating..... Oh well, I always figure there is plenty for us and the wildlife.

[JDPriestly]

5. I'm afraid I'm very fed up with squirrels, NEOhiodemocrat.

You see, squirrels really love avocados, and we have three avocado trees. If the squirrels would just pick an avocado and eat the whole thing, get full and be happy, maybe then I could be more tolerant. But they pick the biggest, loveliest avocados, nibble just enough to ruin the entire fruit -- and then leave the rest on the ground. To ward off the rats, I pick up the avocados and throw them in the compost and trash (the seeds).

One day, I spied one of the squirrels chewing away at an avocado up in a tree and squirted it with my hose. The squirrel finally ran away, and I thought I had solved my squirrel problem. Big mistake. A few days later, I came to check on some squash seeds that I had planted near the house and covered with plastic cups. There, neatly deposited near my squash seeds was a half-eaten avocado that still held the avocado seed. I think it was some sort of peace offering. I wonder if the squirrel was thinking - oh, well, there is plenty for me and for the humanlife. Or maybe it thinks it is human and I am the wildlife.

[troubleinwinter]

6. This discussion might be helpful. (+ edit)

Fox urine (available online) on cotton balls. A few in a tree ought to do it.

I DO know about them taking a bite or two out of a fruit. When I visited daughter & son-in-law, I noticed a couple of apples every single morning under the pine tree, not under the apple tree. A few bites taken out. Then I saw the culprit committing the crime. He swore rudely at me.

I used to have a home with a Black Walnut tree in front. Squirrel brutally cursed me every time I went out the door into his yard. Wow, them squirrels could teach the sailors somethin'.

(oops, edit for link http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=246&topic_id=11084&mesg_id=11253 )

[NEOhiodemocrat]

7. I feel that way about groundhogs

guess we just don't have that many squirels around here because of the four cats. But the groundhogs sit under the apple tree and eat those suckers like mad. And I know how it feels when they only seem to "test" one and then move on to to the next. I planted sunflowers one year and the groundhog hole was at one end of the garden and obviously he got up every morning and ate any shoot of the sunflower that came up. The only sunflowers were at the end of the about 40 ft row. I guess he got full before he worked his way that far. All I can recommend against squirels are cats, ours seem to keep them and the chipmunks away.

[madeline_con]

8. Here's what I do...

build a little trellis out of bamboo stakes or something. Hang those "free AOL" CDs or other old CDs on it with fishing line. You could use anything shiny, even tin can lids. They'll move in the breeze and startle birds and animals. Good luck!

[undergroundnomore]

9. I didn't know

that squirrels eat tomatoes. Boy howdy. Gotta watch those squirrels. I was worried about bunnies. How do you keep them out of your garden?

[Gman]

10. The damn sure do steal tomatoes

This year has not been so bad. My plants are all loaded and I should start picking tomatoes in a couple of weeks. But I keep finding half eaten green tomatoes laying at the base of my big pecan tree.

Last year I saw a squirrel run off with a green tomato in his mouth, ran up a drain pipe and over my neighbor's roof. It must have jumped over to the trees in my front yard as about an hour later I found the remains of an eaten green tomato in the yard.

[liberalmuse]

11. Thanks.

I was going to buy some tomato plants but held off because I had wondered if the squirrels would steal them. This thread has answered that question. I'm going to buy these, and hang them where the squirrels can't find anything to catapult themselves on them:

https://www.topsyturvy.com/?cid=486255