I periodically find half eaten green zebra tomatoes lying around on the ground, on my deck, etc. They are always full size, but showing no hints of ripeness. I am not (so far as I've noticed) losing any of my fully ripe Azoychka, mortgage lifter, or Cherokee purple tomatoes. Every one that I've seen starting to change colors has stayed on the vine and ripened fully. And I don't think I've found any of them half eaten so far.

In past years, animals have mostly stolen my fully or partly ripe tomatoes. And I always thought the evolutionary purpose of tomatoes, and other fruits, changing colors was to attract the attention of animals that would eat the fruit and disperse the seeds. So one would expect that animals would mostly be eating the ones that are ripe or ripening and changing color.

I'm starting to get curious about why this is so this year. I'm seeing the same thing with my sweet peppers as well. My green ones get stolen. Purple beauty and anything else not green is left alone.

I'm really just curious, but has anyone else noticed this trend? Or any thoughts on why it might be so?

Angie

Short of exterminating them, the best bet is to get a dog or cat. Or put a motion activated noisemaker. I tried putting hot pepper powder - the Capsiyummiest, and they just mocked me and ate away. Other people say it works, so I can only tell you what I saw, day after day. Once rodents discover a taste they like there is no stopping them and they develop a mischievous obsession to maximize your pain. I had to go to a support group to try to get over mine ;-), but nothing ever cured me.