bulbs

My chinese lily bulbs are just starting to bloom. They are very fragrant. The moles ate the yellow and white ones and all I have left are pink ones.

Moles are bad bad little monsters. Isn't there something that can be planted to dicourage them?

Dust some poison powder around bottom.

Moles are insectivores and only occasionally eat vegetation, it's more likely a rodent got in the tunnels and scoffed the bulbs than the moles.

Moles have a garden use, especially in clay, they turn the soil and make it easier for the plant roots to penetrate the soil. Of course they are a pain in the neck if you have lots of them in your flower beds, if thee are lots of them it's worth seeing where the tunnels run and relocating the beds! (it's easier than trying to get rid of them)

This message was edited Jun 23, 2004 12:05 PM

I did not know moles are insectivores. Thought they ate plant roots. I have an animal that I watch from the porch. He is charcoal grey with pointed fur covered ears, front and back. He has somewhat of a tail. I have observed him eating the roots off a dandelion plant I had tore out and laid here. He also eats plantian leaves (pig-ears). I thought he was a mole. I know what mice, rats and chipmunks look like and he is not it. Also I have chipmunks in what was a lily and tulip bed. Maybe chippies ate them.

Moles are not evil mosters....the eat grubs and worms mostly. I would be more suspect of squirrels.

There are moles, voles and shrews.

Article about moles vs. voles: http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2004/moles_holes.htm

Pictures of all three:
http://www.natural-history-pictures.co.uk/page10.htm

Thanks, Terry for the hyperlinks. I think it is a vole. I know he eats carrot peels, I laid out 2 or 3 for him and he took them. Perhaps a little carrot slice tied to the mousetrap will fix him.