Something ate my new tomato babies

I haven't seen anything on or near them so I don't know how to treat the next batch of seedlings and protect the few that are still alive. All but two of my seedling pots just have stems now. I've moved them to a different location but I'm not sure that will help. Do ants do this? Ants ruined my strawberry plants a few months back.

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  • MaryRowe
    MaryRowe Posts: 736 ✭✭✭✭

    Is it just the leaves, or the top of the stem and leaves that are missing? Rabbits will top seedlings gleefully, leaving stubs of the stems.

  • Sharie
    Sharie Posts: 276 ✭✭✭

    The stems are sticking straight up. Whatever it was just ate the cotyledons. We don't have rabbits here. Mostly ants, squirrels (never seen them on the ground, just in the trees), a few beetles (making homeopathic remedy from them just in case). I put the plants in that specific location as I had never seen ants there before. I thought I killed all the leaf cutter ants in another area but maybe they just moved. Normally they work all day and are visible though while the other ants come out just after sunset.

  • MelissaLynne
    MelissaLynne Posts: 205 ✭✭✭

    Mice and other rodents will nip the tops from seedlings. A few years back I had a mouse get in and take the tops off most of my squash, tomato and pepper starts.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Often times I will protect a small seedling for the first few weeks. Mini wire cages or covered at night if that is when the culprits are attacking.

    Mice are so destructive

    Good luck in figuring it out

  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    If it was a rodent sprinkle some cayenne powder on the soil and it should protect the seedlings.

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I had rats total destroy my tomato plants down to the roots and then some.


  • Sharie
    Sharie Posts: 276 ✭✭✭

    Wow, what a lot of damage! I have never seen evidence of any animals other than a squirrel that is never out of the trees. There's enough food there for it and now it's taken to eating bananas.

    There could possibly be an opossum although I've never seen one anyone near my place and I think it would have chewed down more than just a few plants. I need hidden cameras!

    Thanks for all your replies!