Bulbs and squirrels

14 years ago

Hello all! I would like to plant some tulip and hyacinth bulbs in the garden, but I am afraid that the numerous squirrels in the area will just munch them up. Any ideas of how to deter squirrels from bulbs? Thanks!

Megan

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Comments (5)

token28001
14 years ago
Pair with daffodils. I've read that they don't like the smell and will stay away from your other bulbs. You can also make a small box of 1/2" wire mesh. Use that to plant your bulbs in. Tulips and hyacinths should be able to grow through the openings. Others have mentioned using pointy gravel in the hole with bulbs to deter diggers.
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newbiehavinfun
Original Author
14 years ago
Oh, good point about the box of wire mesh--I forgot about those darned moles and voles and I would have just put the mesh on top! Those all sound like good ideas. Thanks!
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Squirrels do NOT eat daffodils. Daffs are poisonous. They do love to eat bulbs like crocus and tulips, however. OTOH, this is not the proper place for these questions. Try the bulb forum, if there is one!
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Funny, Kato! Peer pressure! The last few days I've had to hear the neighbors' lawn services with their blasting leaf blowers. I thought, aha, it's NOT too early for some..... (Except for us and our one neighbor, I don't think anyone here does their own yardwork.) But then, I've got the only garden on this block, that I can tell. All "they" have are trees and shrubs. So what's right for them is not necessarily right for me. I mulch with bark chips once it gets really cold, as late as I can stand it, like in late November/early December. I have to buy them way in advance because no one has them by early winter. Then I add a layer of curly willow leaves to my raised beds once they fall. That tree drops its leaves really late. But that's only in the back, where the tree is. I like those because they don't mat. I really never have to remove them, except where they blow around too deeply. In the front is another story. All the nearby parkway trees are maple. I rake those for the village landscape pickup. But I still get way too many leaves blown into my 3-4 front beds, after all "mine" are gone. They mat and are a pain. I leave them alone til spring. I had more than a foot deep against the house. I've always judged that they did more harm than good, because of the way they hold water and sprouting maple seedlings. But that's really just my guess. I'm not really sure; maybe someone else knows (she says, hopefully)?
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I have a different solution, I just plant bulbs that are not eaten by rodents and squirrels. I have found that species tulips are not bothered, and some are very attractive, notably T. praestans unicum, a variegated leaved bright red tulip, and also other species tulips. One year I lost all the hybrid tulips I planted but the only praestans that was dug up was abandoned in the next bed and proceeded to bloom anyway sitting on top of the ground the next spring. Also all daffodils and lots of other bulbs are poisonous, some catalogs will tell which. Muscari don't seem to be bothered in my yard, either.
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kpaquette
14 years ago
i have a couple of resident squirrels in my tiny garden and from what I can tell, they'll go down 2 or 3 inches (into the mulch) but then they give up. They'd have to be pretty industrious to get to the 6-8 inches - and if they do then they earned it LOL. I asked about wire at my local garden center, because of squirrels, and she looked at me like I had 2 heads. I guess the squirrels here in Newport aren't too smart (a product of our school system, I see. ) ;-)
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christinmk z5b eastern WA
14 years ago
I read that a sprinkle of blood meal can deter them...

-kpaquette, Lol, too funny!

I think I may have Beatrix Potter squirrels. In all the years I have been gardening (a whopping eight, lol!) they have only managed to unearth two tulips, but I never saw any bite marks on them. I have lost more bulbs to winter heaving and digging cats. I think the reason for well-behaved squirrles is that I feed them (throw out nuts for them to bury). I have to wonder if squirrels are like deer- they only disturb plants in gardens if they have no other food source. Just a thought.
CMK
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ianna
14 years ago
I plant daffodil bulbs in a layer above the tulip bulbs. It worked well for me. Do it consistently and you will 'train' the squirrels to avoid your yard.
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Bulbs and squirrels

Comments (5)

token28001

newbiehavinfun
Original Author

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kpaquette

christinmk z5b eastern WA

ianna

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Bulbs and squirrels

Comments (5)

token28001

newbiehavinfunOriginal Author

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kpaquette

christinmk z5b eastern WA

ianna

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GET HELP

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newbiehavinfun
Original Author