I don't think they can reach very high. They've gnawed some low berries from my nandinas, but nothing more than a foot from the ground. You might try caging and training the plants, to keep the fruit high.

The plants were caged.
I think they just used the rings on the cages as steps.
They may have had some help from Raccoons, too.
I've never seen a raccoon here,
But my neighbors have.
I figured if some sort of repellant worked for one,
It would for the other, too.

Guess I'll just have to go shopping today,
Then use the trial & error method.

Rusty

I've never heard of a repellent working. Except burying mothballs in a container with holes in the top. Mice were getting into my BBQ. I put a container of mothballs and put the cover back on. The mice moved away. Never put mothballs directly into the soil.

One of the gardening shows past weekend discussed this. The host said the best way is to pick the tomatoes as soon as they turn pinkish white but are still hard. They ripen on your counter safely inside in a few days.

Thanks for responding, pjtexgirl and texazgal.

I may try some containers of mothballs around the plants.
But I really REALLY don't want to pick the tomatoes
that early.
'Counter ripened' flavor just doesn't compare to 'vine ripened'.

I will probably have to resort to traps,
from the animal health dept.
I had hoped there was an easier way.

Rusty

I have trapped opossums that were climbing my oriental persimmon tree to eat the fruit and then drove out a country road and released them. One thing I have to say for the coyotes around here is that they keep the opossum population in check.