Squirrels eating bulbs.

[tothelefttotheleft]

They've eaten all my tulips and are eating/ digging up my hyacinths.

Anyone else had this and what do you do about it?

Squirrels are twats who ignore the cheap stuff in the beds and go straight for the Sarah Raven specimen bulbs in the planters by the window. That sounds like opposite of twattishness. Ignore the cheap stuff and seek out the delicacies. You’re taking this from a very anthrocentric point of view.

@Circumferences There’s some really nice smaller species of tulip which persist and spread, eg Tulipa sylvestris, pale yellow, and I have some which are rosy pink, and some which are bright red with yellow centres.

My spreading tulips are the red ones with yellow centres. They flower for several weeks as they don't all go at once.

Thanks everyone.

I brought my bulbs troughs indoors in the end!

Chilli powder

I get at least two new Horse Chestnuts pop up every year from the squirrels planting conkers from our existing trees. I’d take your park daffs in preference 😊

All that effort and expense for something that blooms for one week, two-three if you are lucky.

There's nothing like a beautiful tub of parrot tulips or The Queen of the Night (such a rich dark purple they're almost black).

Agreed they are short-lived but I find them so attractive and a lovely Spring show. I have managed to get them to flower the following year with good bulb-care and feeding after they've flowered so the bulb is plump and firm.

I wouldn't choose Sarah Raven, she's quite over rated (shriek have I committed heresy?!) I've found my local garden centre bulbs (loose pick and mix in paper bags) to be good quality.

I now have a renewed respect for squirrels and the good they do for forest regeneration.

mind you we've had to put chicken wire round a few new trees where something has nibbled through the tender new bark. The jury's out as to whether it was a squirrel or possibly a rabbit.... either way, it's damn annoying!

@Circumferences Ah but tulips are one of my favourite flowers, they're just exquisite. I love all spring bulbs, but tulips are so varied and so perfect (unless we have storms just as they're flowering, like last year...).

I tend to do a couple of mixed bulb lasagnas in big pots, with crocuses or irises, small daffs, and tulips underneath so the pot lasts throughout spring.

Grated bar of soap sprinkled on top of pots does the trick

@LlynTegid Yes but red squirrels kill birds!

I did as you did this year op and all the new bulbs are in pots in the conservatory

I’ve never had this in my life until the past two years when they have decided to destroy all the bulbs in the garden. It’s odd. Will try coffee and chilli!

Hot chilli powder.

I loose loads of bulbs & plants to squirrels, rabbits & pheasants every year (rural location so lots of wildlife) - last year I bought a big bag of chilli powder from an ethnic supermarket and sprinkled it liberally around the flowerbeds and pots, it worked well, although you do have to reapply

The squirrels do however populate my pots and flowerbeds and lawn with conkers and acorns... every summer I find out where, as the saplings spring up.

The irony is I've had cancer this year and the treatment was brutal. The bulbs were to give me something to look forward to as I get better. So the bulbs took massive energy to do and then they just ended up as a squirrel snack. I have to see the funny side of it.

I'd also carried these beautiful bulbs back on the train etc from a short holiday I bought them on. Pink and white beauties they were. lol

Air gun?

@Circumferences

I've been in my house 22 years. Every year the same bulbs come up and I think what amazing value for money they've been and I didn't plant them!