squirrels, rabbits, tulips and lillies

It was a bad year here for tulips because it got cold and snowed for a prolonged period after they had already come up. But I had some later varieties that came up, only to be eaten by squirrels. They actually chewed up the foliage of many of these. I was shocked because I had never heard of squirrels eating tulips before.

What can I do to keep them out of my tulips? They also dig up my bulbs, chew on them and leave them skinless and slightly gnawed on the grass. I tried to put the blubs back, but they do not survive.

Then I have had great luck with Asiatic lillies, but rabbits are eating certain types of these-- most specifically, the stargazer whites. They leave other types alone-- maybe they eat the leaves off the stalk, but not the buds (like the white ones). What can I do?

As you have discovered to your cost, Squirells and Rabits are gorgeous little things to watch at all their actions, but boy, are they ever distructive, I know you can buy deterants that you spray or scatter around the areas where you have the problems, not sure about the outcome, so my only deterant has been with chicken wire, as I plant my bulbs, I lay this on top of the earth and the bulbs grow through it, the animals cant scrape the soil and steel the bulbs, however, dont know what will stop them from eating the buds or leaves, maybe stick some canes into the earth and attatch something that will rattle or move when a breaze blows it, I use ild CD discs as it shines and flaps in the wind, they are quite timmid annimals so that might help for a while, hope someone else will come into the thread ith some other ideas for you as it is so disheartening when this happens. Good Luck. WeeNel.

Thank you for the CD idea! I am going to try this and the chicken wire trick in the spring before the bulbs come up. I live near an established rabbit warren-- the little ones are very cute, but they wreak havoc. I never realized how much damage they do...

Rubia:

Since I live fairly close to you I understand your issue. You need to get Liqued Fence. It is amazing stuff. I actually talked to a woman who lived up in the country of Northern MN who had a whole field of tulips. I had to know her secret and she told me liqued fence. So far it has worked well for me.

Liquid fence: If it only worked on voles!

I buried mine in a cage that has some pokers sticking out the sides, top and bottom... if they go near it they get poked in the nose..... don't have the name for you but i did buy them on the internet.... and i also use liquid fence for the deer .. love it love it love it

Allison

I had several friends near me when I was in OH that the squirrels ate all their tulips - they would even dig up the bulbs in the fall after they were planted. The advice I was given was to mix narcissus/daffodil bulbs in with the tulips because they really don't like those. I lived next to the woods and had squirrels and bunnies galore, and my beautiful tulips came up every spring - I didn't lose any. If you don't mind mixing bulbs it is a really easy solution. Of course I had no luck with keeping them from devouring my violets. :o)!

Another Chem-free method is bloodmeal. available at Home Depot and most garden centres. It is a natural fertilizer, it smells like blood (cuz it is) and since squirrels and rabbits are herbivors, they don't like the smell, and they think there are meat eaters in the neighbourhood. For some reason, they are opposed to being eaten. Go figure!