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Old July 15, 2020   #1
Farmette
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Default Who's Stealing My Potatoes

Ok, so every year I have potatoes chewed in the 10 inch high raised potato bed. Since I thought the culprits were voles, I reconstructed the bed so that it has metal screening on the bottom. The garden is fenced and I see no obvious holes any place in the garden. Now I'm finding a few potatoes that appear to be carefully dug up and transported to other raised beds. The potatoes have small bites out of them, almost tooth like bites. So, what takes little nibbles and yet is capable of adeptly carrying a potato to another raised bed 10 feet away? I would think that whatever it is, that it would eat the whole thing.
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Old July 16, 2020   #2
PhilaGardener
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In PA, I'd be blaming chipmunks or squirrels, but also had a rat in the garden on year that did a lot of damage. Any of those around?
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Old July 16, 2020   #3
Farmette
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Yes, I've seen a chipmunk, but I didn't think chipmunks would dig in the soil deep enough to pull out a potato.
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Old July 16, 2020   #4
brownrexx
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I would definitely suspect voles but I seriously doubt that they could carry a potato. Possibly squirrels.
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Old July 16, 2020   #5
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I think the type and height of the fencing would make it difficult for squirrels to climb into the fenced garden.
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Old July 16, 2020   #6
brownrexx
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Did your other raised beds grow potatoes previously? Maybe they were not carried there. I find that I have potatoes coming to the surface sometimes in areas where they grew the previous year.
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Old July 16, 2020   #7
Farmette
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No, the beds that potatoes were found never have had potatoes planted in them.
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Old July 16, 2020   #8
SQWIBB
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Mice?
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Old July 16, 2020   #9
ramapojoe
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squirrels are legendary for getting over, under, around any kind of fence or man made anti squirrel device. Not saying it is a squirrel but I spent hundreds of dollars to keep them away from bird feeders and they always got the seeds.
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Old July 16, 2020   #10
Farmette
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Well, I would think a squirrel would ear much more of the potato. Today I put a protective green mesh fence around the bed...well see if they eat through it, catapault into it or give up!
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