What has happened to our daffodil bulbs?

Most of the 20+ clumps are missing all the nice big bulbs and the ones left are small and rootless. Even most the few nice size ones I have managed to find are without roots. There is no evidence of digging, some friends and family have suggested theft, and anyway no one but me knows where most of the clumps are located. Could they have actually migrated down below 10" or more during the drought and never come back up since it has started raining? We only had about 10-15 weeks of drought this summer and I watered during that period so I wouldn't lose plants and bulbs. The dogs/cats have been depositing anywhere from 1-6 small rodents of some kind on the door step almost daily all summer. There are huge mounds beginning to show up in the yard which don't really look like mole hills and our Beagle Darcy is digging furiously everyday at something in the beds. I think the rodents on the doorstep might be Southern Bog Lemmings.

I thought daff bulbs are toxic. What could be eating so many of them and not dying from it?

Hi There,

In Australia we have a beetle that loves to eat bulbs, it is underground and starts at the roots and then eats the rest of the bulb or tubes. Horrible little buggers they are. I would think if there is no evidence of anyone digging them up that possibly in US you guys have something similar to us.

Cheers
Windale

When were they planted? If long ago they do multiply, get crowded and therefore smaller. They are toxic and no one would be eating them. I lift and divide sometimes or fertilize (which is easier) and they do better. I planted 1000 bulbs on my driveway many years ago and now they are just huge clumps of tiny bulbs and not as many flowers. Too much trouble to dig and replant so I just get more. Seems a waste but I believe I planted them too close in the beginning anyway.

I have redug and thinned rather regularly and I know they were there in the early spring because they came up and bloomed well. I think I remember seeing a few small ones laying on top of the ground in early summer. I know I checked there and there were dozens of large bulbs.

With all the digging your beagle is doing maybe he (she) carried them off. LOL