Stopping squirrels eating bulbs!

isofa

We have several regular visiting grey squirrels, raiding the bird feeders, but now I've noticed they have also been digging up tulip, daffodil and crocus bulbs.

I've heard chilli powder puts them off, but are there any other good remedies?

Any other tips, I know you can cover the areas with chicken wire mesh, but it's too late now as the bulbs will be growing.

Jayar

The only way I have succeeded in stopping the little blighters is to put my bulbs in planters and cover with glass weighted with a brick until they start to shoot. They always pinch any bulbs I put in the ground around the back garden. They don't come around the front funnily enough. The cat keeps them away, but they always know when she is indoors and take their chance then.
I think anything like chilli pepper would have a limited effect as you'd have to renew it every time it rained.

Old_Meanie

My partner tried that green plastic mesh I think its for peas and beans. He tied it round a couple of tubs we had and staked it where the bulbs were in the garden just with little bits of stick and it seemed to work and the plastic mesh didnt damage the shoots.

My partner likes the squirrels but they are bullies. We put out seed for ground feeders and the greedy things wont let the birds get a look in until they have stuffed themselves.

olly300

One of the things I've done to fool the squirrels this year is to prepare a patch of ground for 3 months making it look like something was planted there i.e mulching it and even watering it on occassion. The squirrels dug the ground up for 2 months then seemed to give up. Then I put my bulbs in and they haven't been dug up yet.

Other than that I've used glass over pots like Jayar, chicken wire (in the pots the squirrels dig up to the chicken wire) and trying to ensure the ground is not bare where the bulbs are planted i.e. planting in grass for most of the crocuses, planting near periennials.

Anyway one good thing is that Daffodil bulbs are suppose to be poisonous so while some of my Daffodil bulbs last year where thrown around the garden I didn't see any with teeth marks on them.

1971

i heard that grating some soap onto the soil helps - hot tried it myself though

annie123

cover new planted area or pots with chicken wire.

I make chicken wire 'egg' shaped baskets, put the bulbs in them then into the ground and cover with soil.
Done this for several years and it really works. just make smaller baskets for pots.

If they do dig up the freh soil they cant get to the bulbs :j so I just put the soil back over them.
Always make sure that no sharp edges are left sticking out.

I have daffs coming up now! and other bulbs that I cant remember what they are:rolleyes:

annie123

this is a link to the same question asked last year, lots of ideas to try

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=350454&highlight=squirrel

isofa

Thanks, chicken wire seems to be the best option, but it's too late (and too cold) now! Will have to see how many of the hundred we planted grow, but I'm not counting my chickens (wire ). Might try some glass ramekins over them as well, trouble is now I can't remember the exact locations!

I've also heard about soap, but worried it may poison birds and plants too.

I read yesterday that it's also good to have a separate feeding station for squirrels, but I can't see how that'll work, they'll fight and eat anything and everything, so they'll still dig and steal bulbs and bird food. And when there is too much food, they dig up the lawn and bury it - lose lose situation!

I love olly300 pseudo-patch idea - fantastic!