The tomato, botanically a fruit but commonly a garden vegetable, is a staple crop for home growers across the globe. Witnessing a nearly ripe tomato disappear or finding it partially destroyed is a frustratingly common experience for any gardener. This damage is a direct result of wildlife seeking the fruit’s high moisture and sugar content, especially during dry summer periods. Identifying the specific animal responsible is the first step toward effectively protecting the remaining harvest.
Mammals That Raid the Garden
Mammals are often the most destructive culprits, with feeding habits ranging from fast sampling to complete removal of the fruit. Squirrels are notorious daytime raiders, frequently taking a single, clean bite from several ripening tomatoes before moving on. This behavior may be driven by the need for quick hydration or simply checking ripeness across multiple fruits.
Raccoons are nocturnal feeders that cause widespread, messy damage throughout the garden. They often yank entire fruits from the vine or knock down supports to access the bounty, sometimes leaving behind a pulpy, half-eaten mess. Their highly dexterous paws allow them to manipulate and tear the fruit, creating ragged edges and disturbed soil around the base of the plant.
Deer, though primarily browsers of leaves and stems, will readily consume ripe fruit when other food sources become scarce. Their lack of upper incisors means they tend to tear and pull vegetation, leaving characteristic ragged edges on the stems and larger bite marks on the fruit. Rabbits typically prefer low-lying foliage, but they will also consume low-hanging or fallen tomatoes as an easy source of water and sugar.
Birds and Other Smaller Vertebrate Eaters
Birds, such as robins, jays, and mockingbirds, target the fruit during the day, often for its moisture content. They leave small, shallow puncture marks or pecks on the ripe fruit. The damage is usually concentrated on the upper portions of the plant or any fruit easily visible from above.
Smaller rodents, including chipmunks and rats, can be diurnal or nocturnal. Chipmunks tend to nibble and sometimes carry away smaller fruits, while rats often cling to the plant structure and eat the fruit in place, leaving damage closer to the support stakes. Reptiles are a less common threat, but ground-dwelling box turtles will eat fallen or low-hanging fruit, leaving irregular, ragged edges. Lizards, while mostly insectivores, have been known to take small, shallow bites out of ripe fruit, likely seeking a liquid source.
Distinguishing Damage Patterns
Identifying the specific animal involves looking closely at the remaining evidence. The edges of the damaged fruit or stem are a primary clue: clean, sharp cuts on stems or fruit are usually the work of rodents like rabbits or squirrels, whose incisors leave neat marks. Conversely, large, torn, and ragged edges on foliage or fruit are consistent with deer, which lack upper incisors and must tear the plant material.
Location of Damage
The location of the damage is another key indicator. Fruit missing from the top of a tall cage or high on the vine suggests a climbing animal like a raccoon or tree squirrel. Damage limited to fruit within a foot of the ground is more likely caused by rabbits, turtles, or groundhogs. Nocturnal damage, found in the morning, points toward raccoons, deer, or rats, while fresh damage observed during the day suggests squirrels or birds.
Physical Evidence
Physical evidence left behind confirms the culprit. Deer leave distinctive cloven hoof prints and small, pellet-like droppings. Raccoons leave five-toed tracks that resemble small human hands and larger, tubular scat, often found deposited on logs or rocks. Small, round, fibrous droppings scattered near the ground are a telltale sign of rabbits.
Toxicity Considerations of the Tomato Plant
The tomato plant belongs to the nightshade family and contains the glycoalkaloid alpha-tomatine. This substance is concentrated in the green parts of the plant, including the leaves, stems, and unripe green fruit. Alpha-tomatine functions to deter fungal pathogens and various herbivores from consuming the plant.
While this compound can be mildly toxic to mammals in high doses, the bitter taste and prickly hairs on the foliage make it unpalatable. As the tomato fruit ripens and turns red, the concentration of alpha-tomatine decreases. The ripened fruit is therefore no longer chemically protected, which explains why animals target the sweet, mature tomatoes rather than the rest of the plant.