I come again to the all knowing board with a question: Have you ever had birds eating your tomato plants? I'm at my peak level of frustration here. We always do a decent sized vegetable garden - 4 4x4 raised beds and 2 long raised beds along our shed. Over the past week, I've had something nibbling away at my tomato plants.
We put up chicken wire because we suspected the neighborhood groundhog. Didn't stop it. I then thought we had green horn worms, because the leaves and stems are so neatly chewed. I cannot for the life of me find one of those worms. I know what to look for and I can't find them on any plants. At the farmers market this morning we were told it was probably snails. They come out at night and can eat them and other people in our area were complaining of the same thing. Today I've been watching and 3 more plants got partially eaten. We were told snails don't come out during the day because it's too hot and today was hot and the tomatoes are in full sun.
Can't figure out how it's a rodent. Can't find any green horn worms. Can't be snails. Do birds eat tomato plants?? I've never had that happen before, but I've noticed birds flying in and out and I assumed they were going after the worms or snails I can't find anywhere. Has anyone ever had something like this happen?
At this point I've got my security camera set up on an extension cord because I'm so pissed off this is happening. All I see are birds flying in and out but I can't see if they're actually eating any of the plants. Google is no help because every link talks about birds eating the fruit, not the plant.
Any advice is much appreciated before I just sit outside with a shotgun and wait. Something has gotten to 6 of our plants and probably 3 are destroyed beyond hope. I was outside from about 10 to 4 today doing yardwork and keeping an eye on it and nothing happened. I come inside and at some point between 4 and 6 whatever jagoff is doing this struck. Infuriating.
We put up chicken wire because we suspected the neighborhood groundhog. Didn't stop it. I then thought we had green horn worms, because the leaves and stems are so neatly chewed. I cannot for the life of me find one of those worms. I know what to look for and I can't find them on any plants. At the farmers market this morning we were told it was probably snails. They come out at night and can eat them and other people in our area were complaining of the same thing. Today I've been watching and 3 more plants got partially eaten. We were told snails don't come out during the day because it's too hot and today was hot and the tomatoes are in full sun.
Can't figure out how it's a rodent. Can't find any green horn worms. Can't be snails. Do birds eat tomato plants?? I've never had that happen before, but I've noticed birds flying in and out and I assumed they were going after the worms or snails I can't find anywhere. Has anyone ever had something like this happen?
At this point I've got my security camera set up on an extension cord because I'm so pissed off this is happening. All I see are birds flying in and out but I can't see if they're actually eating any of the plants. Google is no help because every link talks about birds eating the fruit, not the plant.
Any advice is much appreciated before I just sit outside with a shotgun and wait. Something has gotten to 6 of our plants and probably 3 are destroyed beyond hope. I was outside from about 10 to 4 today doing yardwork and keeping an eye on it and nothing happened. I come inside and at some point between 4 and 6 whatever jagoff is doing this struck. Infuriating.
Last edited:
