Mystery Varmint

organichris · April 1, 2011

Yeah, so I had two young and tender Black Cherry seedlings that I had put outside, but kept them covered for a couple of days because of the cool nights. This morning I uncovered them and they looked super healthy.

So I went out to plant some pepper plants on the other side of the house before I had to go to work. When I got back something had completely ravished one of the plants, having eaten the whole plant save a stem and part of a leaf. This all happened in a matter of minutes!

The place planted it was a former compost heap built on top of an old tree stump hole. There was a few garbage bits around perhaps. What could have eaten it? A freakin' rat?

Sun City Linda · April 1, 2011

Where I live we have a lot of Rats! Usually they wait at least until dusk to come out. Linda

organichris · April 1, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

Where I live we have a lot of Rats! Usually they wait at least until dusk to come out. Linda

Would a rat eat a tomato seedling? That's what I'm wondering. If not, what would have eaten it.

dipchip2000 · April 1, 2011

Methinks bunny waabbit

ron

organichris · April 1, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by dipchip2000

Methinks bunny waabbit

ron

The thought occurred to me, but I have lived her since August of last year and have never seen a single rabbit. I saw a toad once and some raccoons, but that's about it.

Sun City Linda · April 1, 2011

I have had rats get tomatoes but never the leaves, that I know of. How about a REALLY big grasshopper lol

delltraveller · April 2, 2011

Some cats like to eat tomato plants, at the small and tender stage.

matereater · April 2, 2011

Maybe a deer ? I think my vote goes to the rabbit.

puttgirl · April 2, 2011

I've had plenty of birds come by and peck and pull plants-destroy them in about three seconds.

organichris · April 2, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by puttgirl

I've had plenty of birds come by and peck and pull plants-destroy them in about three seconds.

I think it is birds. What's their freakin' problem?!

I remember about 10 years ago when I was living in an old apartment building, and I had this "brilliant" idea of growing tomatoes on the roof. I had one or two seedlings up there, just one I think, and something mutilated it. What else could it have been but a hateful bird?

I found three other plants last night that had been destroyed. What's weird is that this didn't happen until it started warming up. The plants were there for a few days prior. I'm gonna start blasting these fools! Time to get a new BB gun.

dice · April 5, 2011

A bird might be looking for worms around the roots or bugs
on the plants or using the plant for nest material. Someone
else reported voles chewing through the stem right above
ground level and taking the plants in another thread recently.

tjg911 · April 5, 2011

deer tend to be active at dusk and dawn or at night tho if you are in a rural area where they feel safe they'll come out in daylight.

rabbits same times, i seldom see rabbits in the daytime and i have a lot of them.

birds would yank the plant i doubt they'd nibble the leaves off.

not a cut worm or the plant would have disappeared.

woodchuck?

mjc · April 5, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by organichris

Would a rat eat a tomato seedling? That's what I'm wondering. If not, what would have eaten it.

Simple answer...yes, rats will eat tomato plants.

platys · April 5, 2011

Raccoons seem willing to eat anything. We have this gang of massive raccoons that live in the top of our neighbor's garage in the fake steeple like thing. They were running up on our porch, with the light on, to snag pieces of our jack o laterns to eat. We almost missed out on our pizza delivery because the delivery guy was freaked out.

ObliqueAngles · April 5, 2011

Or mice. How big were these seedlings? Were the pots on the ground? I've had mice gnaw off plants that were 6-8 inches high. Looks like someone came along with scissors and cut them off. They are usually cut right down, leaving only an inch or so showing. And, if the pot is 12 inches tall or less, they can jump into them.

I was hardening off tomato seedlings one year and lost several to the wee rodents.

Deer gnawing is not so precise. For mature plants it would look like they clumsily pulled the tops off the plants and it would not be a clean cut; rather, it's choppy. I imagine that the deer action - chomp and pull -- would cause a seedling to be pulled right out of its spot.

Btw, Mice also like marigolds and new guinea impatiens. Again, it looked some someone came along with scissors and cut off the blossoms. Just an FYI. For those, you may find flower heads stashed under nearby bushes. I had one mouse that was so brazen that it would sit out in the open with the blossom in its mouth. A simple mouse trap took care of that problem. Found all the blooms under a spirea bush.

Accursed vermin! I hope you exact revenge on your troublemaker, whatever it turns out to be.

April 1, 2011	#1
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	Mystery Varmint Yeah, so I had two young and tender Black Cherry seedlings that I had put outside, but kept them covered for a couple of days because of the cool nights. This morning I uncovered them and they looked super healthy. So I went out to plant some pepper plants on the other side of the house before I had to go to work. When I got back something had completely ravished one of the plants, having eaten the whole plant save a stem and part of a leaf. This all happened in a matter of minutes! The place planted it was a former compost heap built on top of an old tree stump hole. There was a few garbage bits around perhaps. What could have eaten it? A freakin' rat?

April 2, 2011	#8
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	Maybe a deer ? I think my vote goes to the rabbit. __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

April 5, 2011	#11
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	A bird might be looking for worms around the roots or bugs on the plants or using the plant for nest material. Someone else reported voles chewing through the stem right above ground level and taking the plants in another thread recently. __________________ -- alias

April 5, 2011	#12
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	deer tend to be active at dusk and dawn or at night tho if you are in a rural area where they feel safe they'll come out in daylight. rabbits same times, i seldom see rabbits in the daytime and i have a lot of them. birds would yank the plant i doubt they'd nibble the leaves off. not a cut worm or the plant would have disappeared. woodchuck? __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

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April 1, 2011	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Where I live we have a lot of Rats! Usually they wait at least until dusk to come out. Linda

April 1, 2011	#4
dipchip2000 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Posts: 664	Methinks bunny waabbit ron

April 2, 2011	#7
delltraveller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 481	Some cats like to eat tomato plants, at the small and tender stage.

April 2, 2011	#9
puttgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 281	I've had plenty of birds come by and peck and pull plants-destroy them in about three seconds.

April 5, 2011	#14
platys Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 176	Raccoons seem willing to eat anything. We have this gang of massive raccoons that live in the top of our neighbor's garage in the fake steeple like thing. They were running up on our porch, with the light on, to snag pieces of our jack o laterns to eat. We almost missed out on our pizza delivery because the delivery guy was freaked out.

April 5, 2011	#15
ObliqueAngles Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Scotland, NY Posts: 20	Or mice. How big were these seedlings? Were the pots on the ground? I've had mice gnaw off plants that were 6-8 inches high. Looks like someone came along with scissors and cut them off. They are usually cut right down, leaving only an inch or so showing. And, if the pot is 12 inches tall or less, they can jump into them. I was hardening off tomato seedlings one year and lost several to the wee rodents. Deer gnawing is not so precise. For mature plants it would look like they clumsily pulled the tops off the plants and it would not be a clean cut; rather, it's choppy. I imagine that the deer action - chomp and pull -- would cause a seedling to be pulled right out of its spot. Btw, Mice also like marigolds and new guinea impatiens. Again, it looked some someone came along with scissors and cut off the blossoms. Just an FYI. For those, you may find flower heads stashed under nearby bushes. I had one mouse that was so brazen that it would sit out in the open with the blossom in its mouth. A simple mouse trap took care of that problem. Found all the blooms under a spirea bush. Accursed vermin! I hope you exact revenge on your troublemaker, whatever it turns out to be.