Comments on: To Catch A Tomato Thief

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:04:15 +0000

Hanna,
Too bad you let it go. I have a really good recipe for raccoon stew.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:39:05 +0000

I thought of Hanna and the original post a few weeks ago. Our grandchildren were visiting and we heard a question we hope to never hear again: “Grandpa, did you know there is a mouse crawling up your tomato plant?” After trapping two aggressive mice, the tomato stealing has finally stopped. Of course at this point in October, tomato production has naturally come to a halt. But what a victorious feeling! Sorry, Mickey and Minnie, wrong garden for you.
(Hanna – missed hearing from you recently)

By: martha

martha — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:23:20 +0000

I have had this problem for years, and found out it is RATS!!!!!!!! I live in a heavily treed suburban area, and my veggie garden is fenced for deer. Yet I haven’t eaten my tomatoes in years, as they all vanish before ripening. Lots of nibbles out of squashes and beans as well. I began setting traps inside a large hav-a-heart trap so my cats wouldn’t get snapped. I caught several in large rat traps. Ick. I assumed the rats lived in the ivy and shrubs all over, but my friend who works for the city assured me they are sewer rats! She then had her workers bait them in my neighborhood (in the sewer!) and lo and behold no bites out of my baby squash or tomatoes, but the season is passing too fast for new tomatoes now.
Yes I am disgusted! But relieved to know there is something I can do!
GOOD LUCK!

By: Len

Len — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:18:03 +0000

Oops. Sorry I misspelled your name, Hanna.

By: Len

Len — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 02:24:36 +0000

I must add my two cents here. Squirrels and deer are my oppressors, and I don’t appreciate having to grow a few more tomatoes in my limited space and go with the flow if I find a plant gone or a tomato I’ve been watching for weeks suddenly showing a big fat bite taken out of it. However, I must take issue with the general opprobrium expressed toward these critters whose forebears in the real estate known as Our Great Nation preceded ours.

Does anyone know of an opossum who ever hurt anyone? Does anyone know of a homo sapiens who ever hurt anyone? … I rest my case.

Regarding raccoons, they are hygienic little bears. End of story. We lazy, filthy human beings could learn much from them.

Sorry to get so far off the tomato topic, and I hope Hannah doesn’t bust me for this, but it’s not the over-breeding of any of these innocent children of God who have been kicked out of their habitat and turned into homeless beggars that threatens the ecological balance of our planet. Wish I could say the same of us who are writing these wise words in this blog.