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Squirrels

wrighttwrightt Posts: 234
in Problem solving
All my potted tulip bulbs got eaten by squirrels last year. I tried putting them in the middle of an island in the pond outside my back door, I tried cayenne pepper. I tried wire netting which they could not get through which I took off once the bulbs had grown leaves and were about to flower,  all to no avail as they even dug these up and ate them. I have bought a falcon and owl with moving heads this year, does anyone have any other suggestions?
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Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Holly works for me. Stick holly twigs in the soil or scatter dead holly leaves.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    .22 works ok. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    A real falcon?
    I was going to suggest that too Lyn  :)
    I would try a finer netting over the pots, pulled tight and secured with wire or string. Also, make sure they're planted deep enough, as they tend to favour small bulbs which are more shallow in the soil.
    In a 'user friendly' method - you could try the peanut feeder located somewhere convenient. It sometimes works if they have a good source of food, but they can be greedy b*ggers. It also depends how much you have to spend!

    Did you mean that the bulbs were dug up/eaten after the foliage started growing too? If so, I'd think that was something else and not squirrels.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    They often do damage burying stuff so feeding them might not be a good idea.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • wrighttwrightt Posts: 234
    Thanks B3 I have lots of holly trees so will definitely try this one. Fairy girl-Neither my owl or falcon are real they are both resin whose heads turn around with a breeze. The netting I used was fine wire netting secured with a strong wire under the rim. They could not get the bulbs when they were bound like this but I had to take it off when the bulbs had started to grow and my night camera showed that it was still squirrels. My pots are deep and so the tulips were very deep, about 45cm below the surface in a bulb lasagne. I found they dug the lot out to reach the tulip bulbs. The squirrels do have peanuts but this seemed to make little difference as they seemed to prefer my tulip bulbs.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    peanuts in a trap , then dispatch humanely.
    Devon.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They must be very tasty tulips! I've never known them be that determined. Very annoying for you.
    Apologies - I was making a joke when I said 'a real falcon'. I meant get a real one!  :D
    Perhaps it's time to forget tulips.... :/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Lyn said:
    .22 works ok. 
    .177 works fine though and does less damage if you're going to make them into burgers :)
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Taste like chicken, w.edges   ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Fairygirl said:
    Taste like chicken, w.edges   ;)
    Maybe squirrel nuggets then?
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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