Chipmunks are a familiar sight in many gardens. While their natural diet centers on seeds, nuts, and berries, they readily target cultivated fruits and vegetables. The answer to whether they eat tomatoes is a definite yes, though it is often an opportunistic choice rather than a dietary preference. Understanding this behavior is the first step in protecting your garden harvest.
Chipmunk Feeding Habits and Tomato Damage
The natural diet of an Eastern chipmunk consists largely of grains, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and insects, which they cache in their burrow systems. Chipmunks generally seek out foods that are easy to access and high in calories for their winter stores. Tomatoes become a target, especially during hot, dry summer months when native water sources may be scarce.
The high moisture content of a ripe tomato makes it an appealing source of hydration. Rather than consuming the entire fruit for sustenance, the chipmunk often takes a bite primarily to access the water inside. This opportunistic feeding leads to a characteristic type of damage that quickly spoils the fruit for human consumption.
Chipmunks typically inflict damage on tomatoes that are lower on the vine. The damage often appears as a small, irregular hole or partially consumed section, sometimes focused on the bottom of the fruit. After taking just a few bites for hydration, the chipmunk may abandon the fruit, leaving it vulnerable to rot or insect infestation.
Distinguishing Chipmunk Damage from Other Pests
Accurately identifying the pest responsible for tomato damage is important for choosing the correct deterrent strategy. Chipmunk damage is generally characterized by a localized, shallow feeding pattern on the fruit’s surface. The small size of the rodent’s incisors leaves distinct, tiny bite marks.
In contrast, squirrels, which are larger, often carry the entire tomato away or leave much larger, ragged feeding cavities, sometimes targeting higher-hanging fruit. Rabbits tend to chew on the lower stems, leaves, or entire small plants, rarely focusing just on the fruit itself. Bird damage usually involves small, sharp peck marks that may resemble tiny puncture wounds.
A further clue to chipmunk activity is the presence of small, excavated holes near the tomato plants or around the garden beds. These rodents are dedicated burrowers, and their tunnels, often without a visible dirt mound, are a sign of their presence. If the partial tomato damage is paired with these shallow digging signs, a chipmunk is the most likely culprit.
Effective Strategies for Protecting Tomatoes
The most reliable approach to protecting tomatoes from chipmunks is exclusion, which means physically blocking their access to the plants. Installing a physical barrier like a cage made of hardware cloth or fine-mesh netting is highly effective. The mesh should have openings no larger than one-quarter inch to prevent the rodents from squeezing through.
Ensure that any physical barrier extends a few inches below the soil line and is secured to prevent the chipmunks from burrowing underneath. Another simple, effective strategy is to provide a separate, clean water source away from the vegetable garden to satisfy their need for hydration and reduce their motivation to target water-rich tomatoes.
Habitat modification can reduce the chipmunk population. Removing excess ground clutter, such as rock piles, wood stacks, or dense shrubbery, eliminates potential hiding and nesting spots. Repellents, such as commercial sprays containing capsaicin (hot pepper) or natural options like garlic oil, may deter them with strong odors or tastes, but these often require frequent reapplication after rain or watering.