Squirrels vs Bulbs: How to Beat Them!
Some of our favorite spring blooming bulbs are commonly ruined by squirrels and other rodents. Yup, tulips are one of the squirrels’ favorite dining options.
Here are our favorite methods to deter the wildlife from eating our bulbs in order to enjoy beautiful color next spring!
- Use a liquid animal repellent. Our favorite for this task is the very long lasting PlantSkydd liquid. Place your bulbs on the ground or on a sheet of newspaper. Spray the bulbs liberally. We recommend using rubber gloves when spraying and handling the wet bulbs! Allow them to dry before planting.
- Use a granular animal repellent. Plantskydd’s granular repellent is perfect for the job. Place your bulbs in their holes. Apply the granular product on the bulbs directly. Cover with soil. Sprinkle a little more granular product on the top of the soil to deter exploration.
- Sprinkle crab shells over the bulbs after they are in the planting hole. The sharp edges of the shells deter the varmints. Crab shell is also an excellent source of nutrients for plants. If you haven’t gone crabbing recently we offer a great product from Neptune’s Harvest. Learn more about its nutritional value here.
- Place wire mesh on the ground over the area that you have planted bulbs in.
- Choose bulbs that squirrels don’t like. Alliums, Daffodils (Narcissus), Fritillaria, Galanthus, Muscari, and Leucojum are all distasteful to squirrels. The bulbs in this list are also not bothered by deer. So when the leaves emerge next spring no extra protection will be needed!
Fall is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs in the ground or containers. You will be rewarded with colorful, cheerful blooms early next year.