How to Keep Squirrels from Digging up Bulbs + 18 Squirrel Resistant Bulbs (2024)

FAQs

How do you stop squirrels from pulling up bulbs? ›

A good way to protect your new bulb planting is to cover the area with chicken wire or plastic garden netting to prevent the squirrels from digging in the area. Stake the wire or netting with landscape staples or use bricks to secure it on the surface of the soil.

To keep voles from stealing your bulbs, place a layer of sharp rocks at the bottom of the hole when planting the bulbs. Add in some dirt then place the bulbs on top then cover with more rocks. Gravel above the bulbs will help keep other diggers at bay. Cover the bulbs and gravel completely with soil.

Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, ground chili peppers, or pepper flakes around your plants when they are ready to bloom. Peppers have “capsaicin” which squirrels hate, so it's a natural squirrel deterrent. Or, make a pepper spray; you can mix dried pepper with apple cider vinegar.

Deterrent For Other Animals

Coffee grounds not only repel squirrels but other pesky critters as well. So whether you're trying to minimize the number of small chipmunks or large deer (read our article about deer and coffee grounds) in your yard, there's a chance that coffee grounds can help.

The pungent smell of pure apple cider vinegar repels the squirrels. ACV is readily available and can be sprayed directly on the plants and flower pots without harming them. Spray it as often as needed to keep the little creatures at bay.

It's time to grab your trusty blue and red can of WD-40® Multi-Use Product. This high-performance lubricant will make the surface too slippery for squirrels and other pests to climb, so they will have no choice but to stay away. Simply shake the can well and coat all external surfaces of the feeder and pole.

Voles, gophers, and mice are common burrowers that eat bulbs. Moles are often blamed, but these animals eat worms, grubs, and other insects. Other rodents, however, will use their tunnels, which is why they are often blamed. Some bulbs do not emerge due to rotting.

It is usually either because they think freshly dug soil means another squirrel has left a stash of nuts or food there; or because they're looking for somewhere to hide their own supplies (and soft soil or compost where bulbs have recently been planted makes the job much easier).

Unlike larger animals, such as deer, who nibble on leaves and flowers, squirrels get right to the heart of the matter and dig up the bulbs themselves. They will eat just about any bulb if they are starving, but squirrel resistant flower bulbs all have some quality that makes them unattractive.

Spicy Odors

Hot and spicy smells are a significant turn-off for the squirrels, and they hate this smell. Scents of white pepper and cayenne pepper are said to repel squirrels. For instance, if you want to keep the pests out of your yard, you need to spray some flakes of white pepper on your plants.

What do squirrels dislike the most? ›

Scents like white pepper, black pepper, and garlic are naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. The same goes for sweet smells such as peppermint. Try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkling on pepper or peppermint oil to deter squirrels.

Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden

Protect it by grating some Irish Spring soap around your plants. Squirrels can't stand the smell of it and will stay away.

Spray their areas and burrows with 1 cup regular Pinesol per gallon of water. Dilute Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper in water and spray on plants that are being eaten (a few tsp. of each in about 1 litre of water). Human hair or urine is a strong repellent.

Cinnamon. Used in small amounts, cinnamon gives many dishes a delicious flavor. However, it is still a spice, and squirrels can't tolerate the smell.

Cinnamon can be used to help repel squirrels from key target areas around your property. Since squirrels have a strong sense of smell, you can use that to your advantage by sprinkling strong cinnamon powder in frequently visited areas to irritate their nose and repel them.

It kept the rabbits away, too. Bracikowski said the dryer sheets works for squirrels and mice as well. In his summer home, he's going to place sheets by vents and doors to discourage the rodents. In the beginning, he added new dryer sheets to the bamboo sticks every week, then added sheets less frequently.

Tangy and sweet smells can help deter squirrels, as they aren't fond of these. Scents of white pepper and garlic powder are also used to repel squirrels. Rodents are also repulsed by the scent of pepper. Spray growing crops with water and put on some pepper seasoning to keep squirrels from knocking them down.

Many people use products such as Vaseline, WB-40, axle grease or another greasy or oily products, with the idea that this provides a slippery barrier that the squirrel can't get past. At least initially, the animal slides down the pole while trying. It may be effective and funny to watch, but please, do NOT do this.

The Center for Wildlife says there are many ways to deter squirrels from climbing feeders, however, Vaseline and other lubricants can harm the animals. “Please do not coat your bird feeders in Vaseline, oil, butter, or anything like that.

What bulbs do you not have to dig up? ›

Do I need to dig up my bulbs or can I leave them in the ground? Spring-blooming bulbs that are winter hardy, such as tulips, daffodils and crocus, can be left right in the ground. Summer bulbs such as dahlias, tuberous begonias and calla lilies, will not survive cold winters.

A wide variety of animals will snack on flower bulbs. Most commonly, mice are the issue, but squirrels, chipmunks, voles, and gophers can also be to blame. Oftentimes a gardener will blame moles as well, but moles do not eat the bulbs or roots of plants.

This versatile basket is designed for a range of uses—from protecting your bulbs from squirrels and rodents to providing an easy way to lift tender bulbs in the fall.

Most bulbs can be left underground all year or stored inside after they've bloomed. After your bulbs have flowered, don't remove their leaves while they're still green; always let the foliage die back on its own. Bulbs gain their strength from their foliage, helping them grow and produce new flowers next year.

Bloodmeal is a scent based repellent and most squirrels will avoid it. However, be warned, it can be a bit smelly especially when wet, and it needs to be reapplied after each rain fall to maintain its effectiveness.

Bulbs should be planted pointy-side up, but if you placed them upside down don't worry. Bulbs know “which way is up” and they will turn themselves around.

They are active during the cooler times on hot days and sunny periods during the cooler months; they are usually most active in morning and late afternoon. In periods of high winds, ground squirrels retreat to their burrows.

The common belief now is that squirrels chew through the wires to get the lights. That's right. It has been documented on multiple occasions that squirrels see the small light bulbs as a potential food source, and chew through the wires so they can store their tiny glass “nu*ts” for their future holiday meals.

Squirrels hate the smell of pepper, particularly spicy peppers such as cayenne pepper. You can grind cayenne pepper on the ground next to areas of frequently disturbed plants. The squirrels will then avoid these areas because of the off-putting smell.

As for preventing the squirrels from entering your home, consider creating a mixture of 1 teaspoon of Lysol and 3 ounces of Epsom salts, diluted in a quart of water. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and apply it to wood shingles or door frames.

What animals do squirrels fear most? ›

A dog or cat may keep squirrels out of your yard, particularly if your dog chases squirrels. If you don't have a cat or dog, you can place plastic owls around your property on elevated surfaces such as fence posts or the roof to frighten squirrels away.

You can repel squirrels using scents they hate such as, capsaicin, white vinegar, peppermint oil, coffee grounds, cinnamon, predator urine, garlic, dryer sheets, Irish Spring Soap, and rosemary.

Other favorites aren't exactly natural, but the squirrels love them anyway. These additional foods include peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, grapes, corn, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, strawberries, carrots, apples, sunflower seeds and even snack items, such as Oreo® cookies.

Guess what can? Sprinkle some cayenne pepper or a similar spice onto your birdseed before you put it out. Birds will eat the seed just fine, but squirrels will smell the heat and stay well clear. You'll have to re-apply the spice frequently, however, or it'll wash off or blow away.

Weasels, coyotes, badgers, foxes, and bobcats are some of the most common mammalian predators for squirrels. In the case of reptiles, the rattlesnake will frequently target baby squirrels as they are more vulnerable and cannot protect themselves.

The Stricklands used Irish Spring soap as a deterrent to keep critters away but apparently possums like the flavored soap.

How to protect tulip bulbs from squirrels and mice: wide wire mesh, such as chicken wire ($38, The Home Depot), is an effective deterrent. Lay it directly on top of the bed, extending the surface about 3 feet from the plantings, then stake it down. You can also plant bulbs in wire cages for tulip squirrel protection.

Distinctive Smell of Mothballs

The scent of mothballs might make many humans feel nostalgic for visits to Grandma's house, but squirrels dislike the scent. If you're experiencing a problem with squirrels inside or outside of your home, the use of mothballs might save the day, at least for a while.

Once they start eating it, the aspirin begins to poison them. Symptoms of aspirin poisoning in squirrels include: vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, tremors, and seizures. If you see a squirrel exhibiting any of these symptoms, it is important to take them to a vet immediately.

Even with its strong smell, cinnamon will not cause any harm to the plants. In fact, not only will it not injure plants, its antibacterial qualities can also help to prevent mold or mildew from appearing on the soil surface as well, further protecting the plants.

What chemical will repel squirrels? ›

Two of the most common chemicals around the home that are said to repel many animals, including squirrels are mothballs and ammonia, which both have a distinctive strong smell.

Simply scatter the surface of the soil of your plant beds with sharp stone gravel. This will create a barrier between the squirrel and the bulbs, as they come across the sharp stone they will normally leave to find an easier spot to scavenge in.

Either fox or bobcat urine will send squirrels scurrying away. Some homeowners spread out used kitty litter for the same purpose, although this should not be done in areas that will need to be worked by hand, such as flower beds.

Squirrels and Bulbs

Because these rodents cannot digest cellulose material, they depend on protein-rich plant structures, like those found in nuts and bulbs, to survive. Gardeners are a squirrel's best friend, and squirrels are constantly digging to find (and hide) nuts and bulbs.

Rodent-chasing dogs and motion-activated noisemakers, such as garden spinners, pinwheels, and aluminum pie tins, all make good squirrel deterrents. In addition, if you're watering your lawn anyway, consider using a motion-detecting sprinkler to increase the scare factor.

Peppermint oil is used to repel squirrels, however, to have success with using peppermint oil, there are a few ways to use it – a peppermint oil spray is a great option. To make a spray: mix 10-15 drops of peppermint oil within 1 cup of water. For every cup of water, add another 10-15 drops.

Reasons a Squirrel Might Stare at You

In general, there are four common reasons why a squirrel might suddenly stop and stare at you: They are trying to establish if you are a threat. They are curious about what you are doing. They are trying to determine if you have food.

Tangy and sweet smells can help deter squirrels, as they aren't fond of these. Scents of white pepper and garlic powder are also used to repel squirrels. Rodents are also repulsed by the scent of pepper. Spray growing crops with water and put on some pepper seasoning to keep squirrels from knocking them down.

A layer of aluminum foil is all the squirrel repellent you need on potted plants. For whatever reason, they don't like the stuff.