I have a couple cucumber plants which have been doing fine, but some critter has been stealing the cucumbers! I have lost at least half a dozen in the past several days. Some were partially eaten, others vanished. I put up a chicken wire fence around the plants Sunday, nothing missing today but a four foot vine loaded with blossoms was chewed off from the main stem. What animal could drag off a 10 inch cucumber? A groundhog? opossum? squirrel? Four tomato plants, full of green fruit, are next to the cukes, no apparent mischief done to them.
Critters stealing cucumbers??
- Thread starter KUfan
- Start date
My vote is groundhog
Something always takes squash here...
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I sprinkle veggies in the garden with dried blood (available at most gardening stores). It's a good fertilizer plus it repels pesky varmints.
We have Possums here that steal anything that I try and grow. They are a protected species here in Australia so there is not much that we can do about them. If you really wanted to know you could get yourself a cheapie trail camera and set it up. It might be surprising what you find on the camera when you play it back.
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
You might try something like this. I got a couple for deer that were eating my lettuce. Aaron, @DoctorShavegood, had one for his garden in Austin and it worked well...he lives in a neighborhood and the sprinklers don't bother neighbors. Where I live I thought about landmines but the delivery time from the vendor was too long. 
Sounds like you have a rabbit. They can jump over just about any kind of fencing you've put around your plants, and get away clean. They ignore traps. They ignore those terrible sprays, which have to be refreshed frequently. They can get over or under fencing. They can't be stopped, once they get a taste for cucumbers. You may need to move.
But seriously, consider an elevated planter box next year. I have a 2x8 one from gardeners.com that I sited (accidentally but I 'm still taking credit) far enough from any good jumping spots that rabbits might use. And it's screened, so furry critters can't get a handhold. The height of the box plus whatever barrier you can make from what's around to further raise the sides might put your cukes out of reach.
But seriously, consider an elevated planter box next year. I have a 2x8 one from gardeners.com that I sited (accidentally but I 'm still taking credit) far enough from any good jumping spots that rabbits might use. And it's screened, so furry critters can't get a handhold. The height of the box plus whatever barrier you can make from what's around to further raise the sides might put your cukes out of reach.
