Strawberry thief

Can some one please, please, please help ? I have tried to grow strawberries for over 5 years now and always have the same result which is driving me absolutely crazy !
I have grown them in open ground, in raised beds, in the greenhouse, in hanging baskets and anywhere else you can think of. The problem is not in the growing as the plants always produce a large crop BUT 'something' is taking them almost overnight ! They look just like someone has come along and snipped off the berries with scissors leaving no traces (even when green and white) and carried them off ! there is no sign of half eaten fruit, holes, or remains on the ground, its just as if they ever existed in the first place. My last effort to try to produce a decent crop this year has just also ended in failure, i.e. I bought organza bags and tied them around each bunch of berries (very time consuming) but the pesky ***** have actually bitten through the bags and taken the berries. Anyone know what is going on here ? I really don't want to give in, but I just don't have a clue what is happening. Thank you in advance. (cant include a picture as there is nothing to photograph except bare plants !). I have to wonder why commercial growers don't have this problem ?

 

When we grew them outside it was badgers that took them. So now grown in the polytunnel with the bottom closed at night. Magpies and blackbirds take our cherries while they are green so we don't get any. Yes we have squirrels as well but they go for our walnut tree. @JWK could be right with rats. They do climb very well.

 

Thank you

 

Thank you, it may well be rats, my garden backs onto woodland. Don't think its badgers because the fruit has been taken from a closed greenhouse in the past and also hanging baskets.

 

I had the same problem last year in my greenhouse and it turned out that mice were the culprits. I have compost heaps behind the greenhouse and they were living the life of Riley.
I'm quite fond of mice, in certain situations, so I didn't do anything then but over the winter they were eating all my seeds so I tried the old method of pee around the area. It only works if you are a man but it essentially tricks them into thinking there is a predator about, so they move on. You can get other deterrents I'm sure but I'm cheap and it works (it's also excellent for keeping rats away from your sweetcorn and far easier than putting socks over the ears).

 

Foxes like berry-type fruit … as did my Labrador.

 

Could it be that you have a two legged thief you don't know about.

 

Last year I had strawberries growing in a re-used pallet on its side, so the fruit hung down the edges. No issues with thieves and we had a resident mouse living inside it. Every time I'd water, it came running out! This year, we moved the plants to a raised bed and they've been eaten by blackbirds and magpies. I'd install a night vision camera to see who is nibbling away!

 

The fact that they're being completely removed, not nibbled and partially eaten [which lots of birds, slugs etc will do] suggests something like a rat, especially if they're being taken from hanging baskets.
I think you'd need a camera to be sure @compostgirl123* , and then you can take suitable action - if you can be bothered with it!