If A Rodent Eats Part Of A Vegetable, Can The Eaten Part Be Cut Away?

Question

Our garden has finally become successful. Successful enough that I’m not only freezing veggies, but learning how to can as well. Unfortunately, this success has also brought rodents. Rodents in the form of Pack Rats, which we trap live and release into the desert a few miles from our home. I was harvesting eggplant today, and noticed that on one particularly large eggplant, a rodent had eaten the end off of it. If I cut away the end, would the rest of the eggplant still be edible, or could the entire eggplant now have disease and bacteria on it just from the rodent eating the end of it? Thank you in advance and have a wonderful holiday season!!

Answer 1

You have to be careful they didn't leave any waste on your produce besides just nibbling. Plus they can leave waste in your soil and contaminate it.

Here is more that will help you decide:

https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/2021/08/are-rodents-and-bunnies-nibbling-your.html

https://news.extension.uconn.edu/2014/08/06/should-i-eat-that/#