From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Mission Viejo, CA

Something has been taking out my pepper and tomato plants. 10" - 12" tall plants completely gone overnight. Almost without a trace. Chewed off at the base of the main stem and nothing left.

Scared to death that I have to put my pumpkins out in the next 10 days or so.

We have rabbits, raccoons, and possums. No squirrels that I've ever seen. This doesn't strike me as rabbit behavior; they are mostly nibblers.

Any thoughts? I put out some Bonide Repels All. Made a pretty good circle around a pepper plant. It was gone the next morning.

5/1/2017 12:30:20 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Rabbits. They love peppers and tomatoes. Fox or coyote urine helps repel them. .22 magnum revolver with birdshot is permanent fix if you get close enough. Live trap if high velocity lead poisoning isn't an option. Sometimes you have to use chicken mesh. The rabbits don't bother seedlings in the hoop house, but once the pumpkins get growing they will chew on the edges of the fruit.

Could also be groundhogs. Same options work on them, except substitute hollow point bullets from a rifle for the birdshot

5/1/2017 1:10:50 PM

South Hero, VT

I've read if you use live traps, enclose them so they look like a tunnel to critters(thanks Steve Connolly).

Borrow or rent a trail cam to identify the SOB.

Good luck on solving the problem.

5/1/2017 1:30:42 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

Ordered a trail cam and will post pictures if successful. We have gophers but I don't think we have groundhogs here.

Bastards. All of them.

5/1/2017 2:11:38 PM

Mission Viejo, CA

Gopher!!!

I hate gophers. I think I got it with smoke bombs.

5/8/2017 12:15:54 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

How about pepper spray...real hot stuff? Peace, Wayne

5/26/2017 12:05:26 AM

Bowdon, GA

I hope it isn't a ground hog they are the spawn of satan. I caught 13 around my farm last year in a live trap. Used tomatoes as bait they can't resist.

5/28/2017 12:24:41 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

I has something tear 2 holes in one hoop the other day so I made it a point to get fence up and pellet gun out for daily recon.... way to May
Ny pellets have been used over the last 12 months.... I have these 2 turkeys stop by daily I see them so much I have named them thanksgiving and Christmas ...... lol ..opps did I just type that ....

5/28/2017 1:35:34 AM