Preventing Animals from Eating Your Bulbs
Squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, moles and voles are known for digging up and eating tulip bulbs and crocus corms. They will go after other flower bulbs too, as long as they are not poisonous to them. Protecting spring bulbs from these garden critters can be a real challenge for gardeners.
That is what makes alliums and daffodils so attractive. No mammals can eat them! Animals also tend to avoid fritillaria, glory of the snow, hyacinth and muscari. You can try planting your tulips and crocuses interspersed with these less desirable bulbs to naturally deter wildlife.
Use chicken wire cages or secure chicken wire over your bulbs with earth staples when planting. For moles in particular, which tunnel underground, cages are essential to protect bulbs below the soil surface. The plants can grow through the chicken wire, but the critters cannot reach the bulbs. For bulbs that multiply over time, however, this method could eventually become restrictive.
Some gardeners swear by planting clippings of hair or using predator urine near bulbs to repel animals. There is currently little strong evidence to support these methods. Adding blood meal to the planting hole may benefit the bulbs, but it does little to deter rodents, especially since some are omnivorous.
You can also try placing sharp gravel or crushed seashells over bulb planting holes to discourage digging. One year I stuck upside-down nails around my freshly planted area. Did it work? I cannot say for sure, but the bulbs did grow. Just be sure to remove the nails when sprouts appear; otherwise, the next time you see them those shiny nails may be dirty, rusty and hopefully not sticking into your hand.
Commercial repellents such as Bobbex or Critter Ridder are another option. Both contain ingredients animals dislike but that will not kill them, making them safer for pets. You can also make a homemade spray using garlic, red pepper, hot sauce and eggs. Check online for proper ratios and be prepared to reapply the repellent periodically, especially after rain.
Alternatively, you could feed the animals to distract them from your bulbs. A container of peanuts is easier for squirrels to access than buried tulip bulbs. The White House in Washington, DC, reportedly began using this strategy 25 years ago with success. No word, however, on how much you might spend on peanuts — or what exactly you should put out for the moles.
Previously appeared in CLG Vol 5 Issue 4
