Rodents!!

Some type of animal is digging up all of my flowers. I believe it is a squirrel (they are plentiful in my area) or a cat. I planted some tulips and daffodils yesterday and when I went outside this morning everything was dug up. All of the bulbs had been pulled out but were intact. What can I do to keep these pests out of my flower bed? I have two dogs and need something that will not be harmful to them.

You can try spray repellents or maybe even laying chicken wire over them until they sprout.

I was really hoping there would be an organic solution. I only want to use chemicals as a last resort.

There are several natural sprays on the market. Liquid fence is one. You could try sprinkling hot pepper or black pepper over the area and see how that works.

The repellents are usually made either from something like predator urine or smelly essential oils so they're pretty much all natural. Whether they're officially approved as organic or not is a separate question, but in the spirit of keeping synthetic chemicals out of your yard I think you're pretty safe.

The best "organic" fix I've found is placing pine cones around all my newly planted flowers/plants. If I don't have enough pine cones, I use bricks or rocks placed immediately around each new plant until they are big enough that the critters will leave them alone. I have 5 cats that can easily get through our electric fence and these methods have worked extremely well in keeping the off all my new plants (they think all of my mulched flowerbeds are huge potties for them, lol). The fence only keeps the dogs out.

Thanks everyone for the great ideas. This is my first time planting and I would like it to be a success.

If you used bone meal in the planting holes, critters can smell it and will go looking for the 'bone'. (been there,did that LOL)

My guess is that your tree rats, I mean squirrels, have been having at your bulbs. I find they just LOVE digging up anything newly planted for reasons only fellow tree rats understand.

I habitually spray my new planting with "The Deer Solution" which I notice is now being called the The Deer and Squirrel Solution (which I haven't yet tried) or Liquid Fence. Both products are non-toxic, natural, stinky, pump sprays. I find if I use one of them too often the critters get used to it and aren't repelled as much, so I switch off every couple of months.

Warning! I am very sensitive to fragrance and both products are nauseating to me, I actually use a face mask when I spray them, or I feel awful.