# Help me Identify a Thief or Thieves



## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

I have something stealing vegetables from my garden and I have no idea what it might be. At first I thought perhaps it was rabbits but now I'm pretty sure it isn't. It started out with one incident where they ate almost an entire hot pepper plants leaves and vegetables but now they've moved on to my tomatoes!! Here's a few picks that might help:


Notice the very small round turds and the half eaten pepper. The tomatoe plants aren't getting the leaves eaten but the fruit is showing the same half eaten signs as the peppers


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

Groundhogs--woodchucks whatever you want to call them. They are vegetation eaters


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

I thought at first it may be some type of rodent but these droppings aren't oval shaped nor very big. They're very small round unevenly shaped balls.


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

RATS!!

I saw one the other evening. Big sucker too,, I got a trap with some peanut butter set for him now....:evil:

Mice will zap your tomatoes as well.


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## Treehopper (Aug 18, 2007)

tomato hornworms...big, green, nasty s.o.b.s


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## Gina Fox (Nov 4, 2007)

you have tomato plants? mmmm I love home grown...my plants have produced about 4 golf ball size tomatos so far. Pretty pathetic. I think groundhog...


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Treehopper said:


> tomato hornworms...big, green, nasty s.o.b.s


and they leave droppings like that?:16suspect


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Gina Fox said:


> you have tomato plants? mmmm I love home grown...my plants have produced about 4 golf ball size tomatos so far. Pretty pathetic. I think groundhog...


If you need some I'm sure I can spare a few. I've pulled at least 30 gallons worth (I use a two gallon pail)off my plants so far with at least that many more coming. That is if I can keep these thieves away. 
:lol:.


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## neeso1aj (Aug 23, 2006)

all i know is there ass and mouth is BURNING!!!


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## Treehopper (Aug 18, 2007)

Michihunter said:


> and they leave droppings like that?:16suspect


look real close, do they look like "stacked" grapes??? if so, HORNWORMS!


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## loborojo (Apr 27, 2002)

Definitely an insect...the leaves are notched in half moons...the droppings are like tomato worms. start checking underneath the leaves of all the plants..should be able to find the buggers. I've had the same exact thing you've got a time or two...right down to the poop...always turned out to be tomato worms or something similar.


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## glnmiller (Jan 7, 2006)

Those are bug turds, some kind of large worm Ted.


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## Treehopper (Aug 18, 2007)

two words...sevin dust or, liquid sevin, or, if you're going organic, "good luck"


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## Michihunter (Jan 8, 2003)

Looks like it's time to get out my CSI kit and do some up close and personal investigating. I would have never guessed a worm.

Just found this and its EXACTLY what I'm seeing as damage and evidence. http://www.gardengrapevine.com/TomatoWorm.html Thanks a bunch to everyone for helping me solve this case!!


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## Treehopper (Aug 18, 2007)

by the size of the droppings, you're looking for a worm (or worms) the size of your fingers (not kidding) bright green, hard to see in tomato plants. usually found suspended under the branch they are in the process of devouring...


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

go to your local garden store and get some BT. Its a bacteria that will kill any worm that eats it. Yet its safe for you to use up to the day of harvest. Completely organic solution to your problem.

Works on cabbage worms too


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## jatc (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm still thinking it's the "creature from Allegen County" a few threads down.


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## jarome477 (Dec 28, 2009)

tomatoe worms look under the leaves after the sun goes down right where the poop is or just dust with seven


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

I've had the worms bore right down the center of the stalk (killing the plant) and couldn't find them... finally saw the holes and cut them open. yep they were inside hiding


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## crittergitter71 (Feb 9, 2010)

I used to be in charge of worm removal in my grangfathers garden when I was a kid.  Sometimes if you gently shake your plants, tomatoe worms will make a loud clicking noise making it easy to find'em.


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