CLOSED: Insect? What could have caused this damage?

Summerlee Bellport Village, NY(Zone 7a) Aug 04, 2011

8/4/11

Hello,

I'm a first time tomato grower - (they're in 5 gallon buckets). Any idea what could have munched on my tomatoes? I live on Long Island, NY.

Thanks.

Donna

Post #8737370

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kwanjin (Zone 7a) Aug 04, 2011

Snails, slugs, and earwigs like to munch on mine. Have you seen any slime trails?

Post #8737914

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Summerlee Bellport Village, NY(Zone 7a) Aug 07, 2011

Hi. Thanks for responding. No, I didn't see any trails. I picked the tomato, and inspected it closely, then cut it open thinking there'd be something inside. Nothing. Up close, it looked like something sharp kind of pecked at it. Maybe a bird. Anyhow, I cut out the bad part, and it was delicious. I had previously sprayed them with a veggie insecticide - if it was a bird, it didn't keep it from munching.

Utah is on my wish list of places to go. Are the winters severe there?

Thanks again.

Post #8741400

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kwanjin (Zone 7a) Aug 07, 2011

Winters are variable. These last 2 have been worlds apart. Year before last, we had a very mild one with temps getting no lower than mid 20s and not much snow. Last year, we had temps down to 0� and snow piled high, especially in the higher elevations. Some of that snow is STILL there. And we also had a very wet spring which is unusual.

Post #8741749

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CarolynLaFevers Kannapolis, NC Aug 12, 2011

Mice & other night time prowlers also like to snack on nice ripe fruits...Glad you got to enjoy the majority of it ;o)

Post #8751599

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kwanjin (Zone 7a) Aug 12, 2011

Birds, too.

Post #8752041

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arlyn Nahant, MA(Zone 7a) Aug 12, 2011

Greetings! A friend of mine found this beast in her yard, asked me what it is, and I'm at a loss for an answer. UC Berkeley's BioKey site (http://biokeys.berkeley.edu/inverts/insecta.html) was helpful in narrowing it down, but I thought perhaps someone here might have a specific answer? It measures about 1.5" (3.8cm) and was spotted in eastern Massachusetts, USA.

Many thanks in advance for your help, and a good weekend to you all.

Best,

Arlyn

Post #8752053

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arlyn Nahant, MA(Zone 7a) Aug 12, 2011

First, my apologies for posting my insect id request in your thread - I just wasn't paying attention and really didn't mean to clutter things up.

Second, I know a lot of people around here have problems with squirrels in their tomatoes. In fact, I've caught one eying mine during the day even though they're still green. Like yours, they're in planters. I'm just hoping I'll be able to get them picked before the beasts make lunch of them.

Best,

Arlyn