How to Keep Squirrels Away From Spring Bulbs

Fall is the time to plant your spring bulbs, but unfortunately, fall and winter are also the times squirrels are most actively looking for food. Squirrels think those bulbs you spent all that time digging and planting are an easy meal--so if you don't do something to protect your bulbs--they won't have a chance to flower next spring. Here are some ideas on how you might protect your spring bulbs from squirrels.

Things You'll Need

• Window screen
• Chicken wire
• Wire cutters
• Blood meal
• Cayenne powder
• Black pepper
• Pea gravel
• Mulch
• Fox urine powder or pellet

Instructions

1. Make sure you plant your bulbs at the proper depth. Large bulbs should be planted in a hole 8 to 10 inches deep, while smaller bulbs should be planted at least 5 inches deep. The deeper the bulb, the less likely a squirrel is to find it.

2. Spread some blood meal, cayenne powder or black pepper above your bulbs and around the planting area. Rodents don't like any of these things and will look for an easier meal rather than digging your bulbs up. Keep in mind that over time the scent of all these things diminishes, so you will need to replenish every couple of weeks.

3. Place a thin layer of pea gravel on top of your bulbs or put a handful of gravel in the hole on top of the bulb when planting. A squirrel will find the gravel harder to dig through than soft soil, and may be discouraged enough to move on, leaving your bulb untouched.

4. Cover your planting area with window screen held in place with some decorative rocks or long U-clips. Place a layer of about 4 inches of mulch over the screen to protect your bulbs from winter chill and make your garden more attractive by hiding the screen. In the spring when the flowers start to emerge, remove the window screen and cover your young flowers with a layer of chicken wire with holes cut to allow the flowers to grow through.

5. Spread fox urine powder or pellets around your planting area. Fox urine has been proven to scare small rodents such as squirrels away from an area.

6. Consider the type of bubs you're planting as well as how you arrange them. Squirrels don't seem to like the taste of narcissism or daffodils, so by planting these bulbs around the perimeter of your planting area, you may be able to protect the other (better-tasting) bulbs from the squirrels.

Tips & Warnings

• Fox urine is available at garden stores.

• Squirrels are intelligent and industrious, plus the hungrier they are the more persistent they will be. None of these tips is absolutely guaranteed to work, so you might consider feeding the squirrels during the winter based on the thought that if they aren't hungry they won't be looking too hard for food - such as your bulbs.