What It Means If You See These Holes in Tomatoes (And How to Save Your Harvest with Grace)

Let’s have a completely honest, heart-to-heart moment for a second. Have you ever been outside, enjoying the peacefulness of your garden, or maybe you were just casually digging through the bottom of your grocery bag? You finally pull out what looks to be a wonderfully nice, plump, juicy red tomato. You are already dreaming of slicing it up for a sandwich… only to flip it over and find a hole right in the side of it. It’s just sitting there, staring back at you. I don’t know about you, but my very first instinct is to recoil just a bit, pull my hand back, and say under my breath, “What even are you?”

But before we rush to toss that poor, slightly imperfect tomato straight into the compost pile and dramatically turn away (and trust me, I am completely guilty as charged here), let’s take a gentle beat and a deep breath. Finding holes in tomatoes is actually not all that uncommon! In fact, it happens to the best of us. The reasons behind these little mysteries are actually quite fascinating—even if the tiny critters behind them can be a little bit gross sometimes. And if you love to grow your own tomatoes, you’ve definitely seen some of this weirdness show up uninvited in your backyard at least once.

Let me take you on a little journey to explore why this happens, what it might mean for your beloved tomato babies, and what simple, everyday things you’re able to do about it. Because I promise you, a little hole absolutely doesn’t have to mean the end of your beautiful harvest!

🐛 What Causes Holes in Tomatoes, Anyway?

Let’s start with the most obvious answer: something out there poked, chewed, or munched its way into that delicious tomato. This definitely didn’t happen by accident. Out in the natural world, a ripe tomato is incredibly tempting! Most of the time, the culprit belongs to one of these three main groups.

1. Insects (Your Tiny, Hungry Neighbors) This is usually the number one offender in any backyard garden. Tomato fruitworms, hornworms, stink bugs, and little beetles—they’re all out here living their best lives, acting like your carefully tended garden is a free 24/7 buffet.

I vividly remember one warm summer when I had finally gotten my tomato plants looking absolutely gorgeous. The leaves were so green, and the fruit was setting perfectly. I was out watering them one quiet, peaceful morning when I suddenly saw this massive green hornworm just chilling on a branch like he paid rent to live there. Not only had he confidently chomped through a few of my favorite leaves, but he’d also made himself right at home inside a beautiful, vibrant red tomato. I was completely horrified. And maybe a tiny bit impressed by his appetite? But mostly, I was just horrified. Let’s look at the usual suspects:

• Tomato Fruitworms: These little caterpillars are sneaky. They usually enter the tomato right near the green stem, leaving behind a small, dark hole that you might easily miss at first glance.

• Hornworms: These guys are the absolute giants of the summer garden. They do not nibble gracefully; they take massive, jagged bites out of the fruit and leaves alike. You will definitely know when they have visited!

• Stink Bugs: These bugs don’t always make a deep, obvious hole. Instead, they use their tiny, needle-like mouths to pierce the delicate skin of the tomato. This leaves behind a small, cloudy, slightly corky spot right underneath the skin.

2. Wildlife (The Drive-By Diners) If the hole you are looking at looks a little more like a shallow scoop, or maybe a series of quick, small pecks, you’re more than likely dealing with your friendly neighborhood backyard wildlife.

• Birds: Our feathered friends really love the juicy, refreshing hydration of a ripe tomato, especially on hot summer afternoons. They usually take one or two quick pecks to quench their thirst and then happily move on to the next one.

• Squirrels and Rodents: These furry little visitors can be quite frustrating! They tend to be very picky eaters. They will often take a single, greedy bite out of multiple different tomatoes, just to taste test them, leaving the rest of the ruined fruit to rot right there on the vine.

3. Environmental Cracks (Nature’s Own “Holes”) Sometimes, what looks exactly like a hole or a very deep gash isn’t caused by a hungry pest at all. It is just Mother Nature doing her thing. If your tomatoes experience a heavy, sudden rainstorm after a long, dry spell, or if you water them very heavily after they’ve been dry for a while, the juicy inside of the tomato actually starts to grow faster than the outer skin can stretch. This sudden burst of growth causes the skin to split and crack wide open, creating a deep, dramatic fissure that can easily look just like a wound or a bite mark.

🍅 To Eat or Not to Eat? The Tomato Triage

The single most common question we all ask when we find a holey tomato is: Can I still eat this? The really good news is that the answer is usually a resounding yes! However, it really does depend on the specific type of damage. Let’s walk through a simple little tomato triage together so you know exactly what to do.

• Bird Pecks and Squirrel Bites:

  • Is it safe to eat? Yes, absolutely!

  • What to do: Simply take a knife and cut away the damaged, bitten area. The rest of the tomato is perfectly fine, completely safe, and will still be totally delicious in your salad.

• Worm Holes (Like from Fruitworms):

  • Is it safe to eat? Yes, it usually is.

  • What to do: You will want to cut a very generous wedge around the hole to remove it. Be sure to check inside carefully to ensure the worm (or any mess it left behind, like its frass) is completely removed before you eat it.

• Stink Bug Damage:

  • Is it safe to eat? This one is a strong maybe.

  • What to do: Stink bugs inject a tiny bit of an enzyme when they bite that can actually make the surrounding tomato flesh taste very bitter or even slightly soapy. You should cut away a wide margin around the cloudy spot. If you taste a tiny piece and it still tastes bitter or unpleasant after cooking, it is best to just toss it out.

• Deep Cracks from Watering:

  • Is it safe to eat? Yes!

  • What to do: If the split or crack is fresh and the inside looks dry and healthy, it’s safe to enjoy. However, if the crack looks old, dark, and has any fluffy mold growing inside of it, you should definitely send it to the compost bin instead.

• Mushy, Slimy, or Foul-Smelling Areas:

  • Is it safe to eat? No, please do not eat this!

  • What to do: If the area around the hole is starting to rot, feels slimy to the touch, or smells bad to your nose, that means unwanted bacteria have already taken over. It is no longer safe, so throw it away.

🛡️ How to Protect Your Garden (Gently and Naturally)

If you want to try and keep your future harvest looking absolutely pristine, please know that you don’t need to resort to using harsh, scary chemicals. There are so many gentle, resourceful, and wonderfully natural ways to protect your beloved plants and keep them thriving.

• The Morning Patrol: Honestly, the very best pesticide you will ever find is your own two feet! Make it a peaceful habit to walk through your garden every single morning with a warm cup of coffee or tea in hand. If you happen to see a hornworm munching away, simply pick it off with your hands (you can wear gardening gloves!) and drop it into a little bucket of soapy water. It might feel a bit gross at first, but it’s a highly effective way to keep your plants safe!

• Floating Row Covers: If you find that you have a very severe insect issue year after year, you can easily place some lightweight, breathable garden fabric over your young plants. This clever trick lets all the beautiful sunlight and fresh water in, but it physically keeps the flying moths from landing and laying their eggs on your precious leaves.

• Encourage Good Bugs: Remember, not all bugs in the garden are bad guys! Friendly insects like ladybugs, delicate lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps are actually your garden’s best friends and protectors. For example, if you ever see a hornworm with what looks like little white rice-like cocoons stuck all over its back, leave it alone! Those are actually parasitic wasp babies, and they will soon hatch and naturally control the bad pest population for you without you having to lift a finger.

• Consistent Watering: To easily prevent those ugly cracking “holes,” the absolute best thing you can do is try to keep your soil’s moisture as consistent as possible. Add a nice, heavy layer of natural mulch around the base of your plants to help the soil retain its water on hot days, and always try to water your plants right at the roots down in the soil, rather than pouring water overhead onto the leaves.