Nothing is more frustrating for home gardeners than seeing your lovingly grown tomato crop devoured by sneaky rats. While clever rats can outsmart many deterrents, with some smart strategies you can get the upper hand and safeguard your precious tomatoes.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share proven tips and tricks I’ve learned over many rat battles to stop these tomato-thieving pests in their tracks and protect your harvest
Start with Preventive Measures
Take steps to make your whole garden less inviting to rats before problems even start An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure when it comes to blocking rat access
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Eliminate any tall grasses, wood piles, junk piles or other areas near the garden that could provide hiding spots and shelter for rats. Keep the area tidy.
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Remove possible food sources like pet dishes, bird feeders or open compost piles that could draw rats to the area.
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Set up physical barriers around the garden’s perimeter, like fences, hardware cloth or wire mesh. For maximum protection, bury barriers 6-12 inches underground to thwart burrowing rats.
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Cover tomato plants with row covers to limit rat access. Be sure to support covers so they don’t crush plants.
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Interplant tomato plants with marigolds, garlic or other strong-smelling plants that may deter rats.
Shield Fruiting Plants
Once your tomatoes start ripening, you’ll need to take extra precautions to protect those tempting fruits.
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Build cages around individual plants or rows using chicken wire or plastic mesh. Use a wire too small for rats to squeeze through.
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Wrap ripening tomato clusters with lightweight netting or fabric secured with clothespins to create a barrier.
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Protect pots by covering with weighted-down aluminum pie tins or screens at night when rats are active. Remove during the day.
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Position shiny pinwheels near plants to scare rats with movement and noise at night.
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Place battery-powered ultrasonic pest repellers around the garden perimeter to deter rats with high-frequency sound waves.
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Apply natural repellents like hot pepper spray, predator urine or essential oils on fences. Reapply after rain.
Harvest Tomatoes Strategically
Be proactive and harvest tomatoes early to prevent rats from getting there first.
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Pick tomatoes as soon as a hint of color appears. Ripening ethylene gas will continue the job indoors.
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Check plants thoroughly in evening and harvest all ripe fruits daily. Never leave ripe ones out overnight.
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Remove any damaged or spoiled fruits quickly so they don’t attract more rats.
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Harvest nearly-ripe green tomatoes at season end and ripen indoors in paper bags.
Consider Trapping as a Last Resort
While non-lethal methods are ideal, trapping can be the only way to eliminate a persistent tomato-stealing rat.
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Bait live traps with peanut butter, seeds, bacon bits or dried fruit. Check traps frequently.
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For humane control, release trapped rats at least 5 miles from home, never near other homes.
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As an absolute last option, set lethal snap traps along outdoor runs, not in the garden itself. Check and remove any rats promptly.
Remain Vigilant in Your Defenses
Stay alert and proactive as rats are clever foes. Here are key tips:
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Inspect barriers for breaches routinely and repair immediately. Check for burrowing too.
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Vary deterrent approaches periodically based on observed rat activity patterns. Keep them guessing.
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Check ripening fruits daily, ideally in evening, picking before rats do. Don’t leave ripe tomatoes out overnight.
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Quickly remove any food spills or debris that could sustain rats. Tidiness is key.
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If trapping, use multiple traps and change locations regularly for best success.
Enjoy Your Harvest Victory Over Rats
While completely blocking rat access may be impossible, with dedication and varied protective measures you can outmaneuver these furry thieves and succeed in defending your tomatoes. Employing physical barriers, traps as needed, repellents and vigilant harvesting, you can foil those rodents and enjoy a bountiful harvest.
And nothing tastes better than a sun-warmed, homegrown tomato you protected from the clutches of the rat that wanted to steal it! Here’s to a plentiful, rat-free tomato season for all.
Re: How to stop rats eating my tomatoes?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Its fabulous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about protecting your tomatoes.
I suspect that the gap between the birdproof mesh is still too big and is allowing the rats to pass through. There could also be a weak point somewhere along the bottom of the mesh that the rats are using as an entryway into the garden. My first suggestion is to inspect the entire area and see if there has been damage to it or there is a gap underneath thats allowing the rats to pass through.
If the mesh is intact there might be a tree branch or fence panel that the rats are using as a bridge to get in. If after checking thoroughly that there is no weak spot, I suggest taking the next step and that is to create an individual mesh cage for the tomato plant. I suggest using Whites 90cm x 5m x 6.5mm x 6.5mm Mouse Mesh. Its designed to prevent vermin access and is hot dipped galvanized to withstand the weather.
Ive placed a sample below to give you an idea of how to build it. Youll need pliers and a Whites 0.70mm x 75m Wirepak Galvanised Tie Wire to stitch the ends together. I suggest using Whites Heavy Duty Pins – 10 Pack to keep the cage anchored to the ground. Please make sure to wear gloves and safety goggles when cutting and building the wire cage.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
How to stop rats eating my tomatoes?
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Keep Rats and Squirrels Out of Your Tomato Garden
FAQ
How do I keep rats from eating my tomato plants?
Chickenwire or plastic mesh fencing or lightweight bird netting (available at garden centers) can be installed around a pot or a row of plants.
Do rats eat tomatoes at night?
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UC ANRhttps://ucanr.eduWho is Eating My Tomatoes? – HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener …Jul 18, 2023 — A good way to know whether a rat or a squirrel caused the damage is to figure out the time of day when tomato raids occur. In this case, you visited…
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Sacramento Digs Gardeninghttps://sacdigsgardening.californialocal.comRats! Hungry rodents attacking summer gardensAug 5, 2022 — They nibble big, often irregular holes. … They’ll scale a tomato cage to feast on fruit 2 or 3 feet off the ground. Rats tend to be active at night…
What animal is eating my tomatoes at night?
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Raccoons and Opossums:These animals are attracted to ripe tomatoes and will often eat them whole or take bites out of them, according to Dalen Products. They might leave half-eaten tomatoes or scattered debris.
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Squirrels:While primarily daytime animals, squirrels can be active at night and will often eat ripe tomatoes, says a user on Reddit. They might take bites out of the tomatoes and then move on to the next one.
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Rats:Rats are nocturnal and can cause significant damage to tomato plants, especially at night. They will eat anything they can get their paws on, including tomatoes.
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Birds:While birds are more likely to peck at tomatoes during the day, they can sometimes eat them at night, notes a user on Reddit.
How do I protect my tomatoes from being eaten?
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Physical Barriers:
- Bird Netting: Wrap plants with lightweight bird netting to prevent birds from pecking holes in the tomatoes.
- Fencing: Build a fence around your garden or individual plants to exclude larger animals like rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons.
- Cages: Use hardware cloth or chicken wire to create cages around individual tomato plants, ensuring small mesh sizes to exclude squirrels.
- Bird Netting: Wrap plants with lightweight bird netting to prevent birds from pecking holes in the tomatoes.
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Deterrents:
- Animal Deterrent Sprays: Use sprays that deter animals, like Liquid Fence, which may deter rabbits and other pests, according to Gardening Know How.
- Moving Objects: Hang reflective objects like CDs, DVDs, or foil garland to scare away birds.
- Animal Deterrent Sprays: Use sprays that deter animals, like Liquid Fence, which may deter rabbits and other pests, according to Gardening Know How.
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Companion Planting:
- Herbs: Plant herbs like basil, marigolds, oregano, and sunflowers near tomatoes to deter some pests.
- Herbs: Plant herbs like basil, marigolds, oregano, and sunflowers near tomatoes to deter some pests.
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Plant Health and Hygiene:
- Healthy Plants: Ensure plants are well-watered, have adequate sunlight, and are in healthy soil.
- Remove Fallen Fruit: Pick up and remove any fallen or rotting tomatoes to prevent attracting pests.
- Healthy Plants: Ensure plants are well-watered, have adequate sunlight, and are in healthy soil.
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Specific Pest Control:
- Tomato Hornworms: Handpick and dispose of tomato hornworms, which are large caterpillars that can devour leaves and fruit.
- Leafminers: Use yellow sticky traps to attract and capture adult leafminers.
- Tomato Hornworms: Handpick and dispose of tomato hornworms, which are large caterpillars that can devour leaves and fruit.
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Other Tips:
- Cones: Use cones around plants to lift leaves and stems off the ground, preventing some pests from crawling onto the plant.
- Early Detection: Regularly check plants for pests and signs of damage, especially during the growing season.
- Cones: Use cones around plants to lift leaves and stems off the ground, preventing some pests from crawling onto the plant.
How to keep rats away from tomato plants?
You can grow it near tomato plants to keep rats away or add its scent in the corner of your house to avoid coming near your vegetable garden. Soak some cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them around the tomato plants, and let it do its magic.
What are the harmful effects of lectins in tomatoes?
Lectins are considered antinutrients that are present in various foods, their harmful effects are related to intestinal permeability, gas, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
How do I protect my tomato plants from rodents?
To protect tomato plants effectively from rodents such as rats, I find it crucial to first keenly observe and understand their behavior. Rats and other rodents leave behind distinct signs of their presence. I always look for: Droppings: Small, dark pellets often found concentrated in specific areas where rodents forage for food or establish nests.
Why do you need to look for rats when planting tomatoes?
The opportunity to access fresh produce is something pests will never miss out on. This is why you need to look for rats when planting your tomatoes. After all, having rodents visit your fruit and vegetable plants can also lead to numerous health hazards.
Do rats eat tomato plants?
However, one of the challenges gardeners often face is keeping pests, particularly rats and other rodents, away from their tomato plants. These pests not only consume the fruits but can also cause significant damage to the plants, and undermine your efforts to sustain a healthy home garden environment.
Does tomato broth kill rats?
The smell of the broth will attract rats to consume it and eventually die. But you should know that Poison can kill birds, squirrels, and even your pet. So, think carefully if you’re using poison to keep rats away from your tomato plants.