Birds or deer are the more likely tomato culprit. Fuckers know the perfect ripening time to start pecking at them. I used to net my whole patch but it was a huge pain in the ass. If you stay up on it, you pluck them right as they start to blush. Let them ripen inside. Havent lost a tomato with far less effort.
I have watched the squirrels go into the tomatoes and come out with one and eat it on the corner of the bed while watching me. And we have no deer, and I submit to you that it's almost impossible for a swallow, African or otherwise, to fly away with a tomato that is 3 times the weight that it is. I've reapplied extra hot chili powder to the base of the plants in the garden, and this morning I've seen a pissed off, confused squirrel running around in the back yard as a result.
You can buy birdseed with capsicum powder in it as a squirrel deterrent. It is surely effective. I've also heard that the reason they nibble instead of fully eat tomatoes is because they are more after water than the fruit itself. Supposedly keeping fresh accessible water in the area can help redirect their efforts.
I think the squirrels are just looking for shit to eat. They REALLY like my eggplants... and it wasn't until I put down the hot chili powder that they left them alone. I think they're just trying everything to see what they like and going after them. Who knows. Fucking squirrels... and meanwhile one of our remote neighbours are feeding them by hand every day now so when I come out onto my deck, they are sitting in the tree looking at me, waiting for me to feed them. Taunting me. Belching eggplant. Fuckers.
The water thing is just something I've heard but your case seems to prove otherwise. Reminds me of a story I heard about a neighbor near me. She thought it was so cute to feed the raccoons until they ate her cat. Then she had another neighbor exterminate them. The end.
Just had a conversation with my neighbour over the fence. His neighbour used to be offended over my “varmint eradication program”. Well now he’s got a family of skunks under his shed. Apparently he is now indirectly asking for help, hat in hand.
That's almost exactly what happened with our neighbors! The one lady was feeding raccoons and the other neighbor was shooting them. Then they ate her cat and she was all for shooting them.
So my tomatoes are now in full swing. Got about 60lbs of Brandywine so far. Juiced about 40 of them and have 4 gallons of tomato juice to can. Other 20 is still ripening.
I also think Im done trying Yellow Brandywine tomatoes for a while. I thought they were just less heat tolerant and getting them in late was why I was seeing so low fruit set. Turns out after some reading they arent big producers. Theyve also been hit hard by serious cat facing where more than a 3rd of the actual tomato is hard brown leather instead of fruit. So even what I do get ripened isnt substantial. This year for some reason the caterpillars hit them the hardest over the other two varieties right next to them. Might go back for Cherokee Purple or Green Zebra.
Yeah, everything went in so late, and now we're already down to near frost temps. Lots of leaves are dying off and while there's a lot of green fruit on the vines, I'm not sure how much will get around to ripening over the next week or 2. I tried a new "part roma, part cherry" tomato that I'm really happy with... great flavour and just perfect for toasted tomato sandwiches. Next year I'm going to do a better job getting them growing indoors. This year I only planned as far as seedlings, and I think the really REALLY late season caused a bunch of stuff to stunt well before we were able to transplant to the beds. Next year I'm planning on being able to grow them to full maturity indoors, if need be. One thing that has gone absolutely bonkers this year are my peppers... insane harvests coming off of them... mostly chiles and jalapenos so far.
I'm a trap and relocate person. Unless it is obviously a female with young nearby, then I'll just deal with it until the young can fend for themselves. I just don't see the need in killing a raccoon just trying to feed itself. If they're murderous and killing animals, that's a different story, but that hasn't happened to me lately.
We're getting frost this week so I did my final harvest of hot peppers from the garden. Then I gassed myself out like an antifa protester in Portland making some infused oils of various flavours. I have to say, I was doing well until I did up the habanero and ghost peppers... then my scalp started to tingle, and I'm still afraid to go take a piss.