Congratulations!

This now explains the branch that was partly broken and the branch that was found completely detached and lying on the ground: those were unlikely for hornworm damage.

Squirrels (and raccoons too) are usually known for swiping ripe fruit (ask me how I know). That behavior is usually blamed on drought. I wonder if your squirrel vandal was thirsty and your tomato plants looked particularly juicy? There's a theory that squirrel fruit theft can be prevented by providing a source of water accessible to squirrels -- some sort of birdbath, or even a large saucer of water in the general vicinity of the veggie garden.

If you're using small enough netting to wrap the tomatoes, you should be able to prevent the hornworm moths from reaching the leaves to lay their eggs. 8-)

I don't know what kind of netting you are getting, but the squirrels around here would not be deterred by a lot of them. Check with your local animal control, many of them have catch and release traps they will lend out so you can "relocate" the offending critter.

Bets

Hmmm...I purchased Bird Block. The netting has about 3/4" squares. I was thinking about looking into live traps.

Of course, I had my "Squirrel Paradise" idea, which was to leave my sacrificial plant on the other side of the house available for them to feed on, and then leave some water and perhaps peanuts around as well. I just wasn't sure if that would encourage them more.

What kind of squirrel eats tomato plant stems and leaves? Maybe it's trying to commit suicide or something? Maybe you should give him a hand...

I have to give credit where it's due. You are incredibly determined! I don't think I have ever heard of a gardener setting up video surveillance to catch a pest before.

But you have to admit, that was really resourceful ;)

If it is an issue with thirsty squirrels, they make these self-filling dog bowls -- you just attach them to a garden hose.

Thanks! My teenager said that I was officially insane. I prefer determined and resourceful! :)

I can post pics, but is there any hope for the defoliated plants to come back. One is about 90% stripped, with two others perhaps 75%. The others have minor damage in comparison...20-30% by my eyeball, guesstimate.

Yes, there's hope. Give them time.

RTG

Congratulations! I'd try the alternatives you're thinking about, "sacrificial garden" with bowl of water and unprotected tomato plants and the netting, to see which ones work best. Your dry weather is probably working against you as far as squirrels are concerned!

Squirrels can certainly be pests but their antics are sometimes pretty funny. Once I was visiting friends who tossed out old bread for the birds in their back yard, and I saw a squirrel dash into the bird crowd to steal whatever it could. It made off with an entire bagel but couldn't see where it was going because the bagel was so big. It crashed into the trunk of two trees before dropping the bagel to get its bearings, and finally hauled it up a tree.

At least we have lots of oak trees that shed thousands of acorns, so squirrels in the garden have not been a problem, knock on wood! And with all the rain, I'm sure there are squirrel swimming pools in some spots!

Since these evil rodents are destroying your plant foliage, would it be possible to put cayenne pepper on the leaves and stems somehow? Would that affect the taste of the fruit? It doesn't appeal to me to put something like that on something I'm going to eat, but the stems and leaves... I know there has been discussion of the cruelty issue, but in my book, turnabout is fair play. If squirrels are that smart, which people say they are, perhaps they will learn not to mess with ragtimegal's container garden.

You said your neighbor has a container garden too and has no problems, right? Or so he claims. I'd be real curious as to what he is doing to avoid the problems? Worth analyzing, given your "determination and resourcefulness". ;)

Dave

Great detective work finding your nemesis varmit!
I'd be worried about your covert surveillance work if I was your tennage kid :)

You said your neighbor has a container garden too and has no problems, right? Or so he claims. I'd be real curious as to what he is doing to avoid the problems? Worth analyzing, given your "determination and resourcefulness". ;)

Dave

They may being Blood Meal for fertilizer. the added benefit being it repels squirrels. (but the con is may attract other problem like dogs and raccoons).

Wow, I'm impressed. I think you should go into detective work. You are very determined.

"They may being Blood Meal for fertilizer. the added benefit being it repels squirrels. (but the con is may attract other problem like dogs and raccoons)."

The squirrels that torment me must be carnivores, blood meal doesn't repel them. Actually, I haven't found anything that works well. I've tried shooting them with a water rifle. It didn't keep them away. It was temporarily satisfying. Squirrels weren't harmed.

Something has been nibbling my eggplants. I'm pretty sure it's a squirrel, but I don't have a video camera so I don't know for sure. Anyway, I've found that they don't like to walk around on chicken wire. I've surrounded my plants with it and so far so good. I don't lay it flat, but bend the edges a bit so that it's a couple of inches off the ground. That way their little rodent feet and legs get tangled in the wire, which they don't seem to like.

It probably wouldn't work if they were highly motivated, but I don't think they really like eggplant or tomato leaves so are pretty easy to discourage.

The chicken wire is an interesting thought and may be worth a try. I found another branch chewed off yesterday on one of the plants I didn't cover with netting (I ran out). It rained yesterday morning and the night before, which I had hoped would deter the determined little buggers, but apparently not.

In desperation, I bought some hot pepper wax spray yesterday. I thought that it might at least be a bit better than sprinkling cayenne pepper around the plants, since they can't inhale the powder up their noses.

I have heard that blood meal is a good deterrent but have also heard others say that it didn't work for them. My neighbor is fertilizing organically, though I am unsure what he is using. He says that he is not having trouble with the squirrels this year, but he has in the past. I think it's because they have found my plants...they are coming from a hole dug underneath the fence from his yard into mine!!! I would block it up, but it is likely a waste of time, since they can either make a new one or climb right over the fence.

Oh, and bdobs....my teenager should be afraid...very afraid...but I'm certainly not telling him that! :)

I'll cross my fingers on the pepper spray, get some more netting, and perhaps buy some chicken wire and blood meal. I think I will end up spending more money on squirrel and rabbit protection than anything else!

The squirrels that torment me must be carnivores

Actually, squirrels can and will eat meat. I've personally seen a squirrel eating a dead bird. I imagine it was starving, but still, it was a really creepy sight.