I would say caterpillars. In that first picture, if you look at the leaves in the background in the lower section you can see the black "nuggets" or specks of what could only be caterpillar poop.

Try and see if you can find the monster. Look at the leaves above the poop and see if you can find him. Otherwise get some BT and destroy the little bugger..:)

kendra

Or perhaps rats?

Thanks Guys,

I just went out this morning and they got several more large tomatoes. I searched for caterpillars but found none. I also noticed some chunks of tomato on a leaf under a large tomato that was half gone. Lead me to believe it was perhaps a rat.

You are correct about the pop. The poop and damage is too widespread to be caterpillars (without being detected).

OK, rat posion goes out today. I live in a subdivision, on the greenbelt with a retention pond behind me, though I have never seen a rat.

Thanks again....

Well, I think rats are out of the question. I set 4 traps last night baited with cheese. Three of them were sprung, but no mice.

Given the location of some of the tomatos eaten, it has to be a fairly lightweight animal.

I bought a couple of rat posion cubes also. They were both GONE. They were about 1" by 2"s.

I have yet to get a ripe tomato, and I planted in Feruary. Geezz.

Do you live next door? The SAME thing is happening to my tomatoes! I was blaming birds first of all, and then went out to go put out bird netting and found 1 caterpillar and a BUNCH of stinkbugs. They were all on my zucchini or squash plants and I tried to kill as many as possible and then just gave up, ripped the plants up and then burned them. That made me feel better :)

I also am fighting spider mites. AUGH! I hope someone can tell us what this is and what to do about it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Oh the carnage!

what about possums? we have those around here and they are much more nimble than rats but will do the same damage?

kendra