If you re an greedy gardener , you ve credibly allot with your reasonable share of plague . From gnawer to creepy crawlies , these pests can make horticulture much harder and more frustrating . font in period : squirrels and chipmunk . These thing are vulgar in region with mass of honest-to-god , mature tree . They can be a pain for gardeners who want to found spring bulbs like tulips and crocus . If your springiness bulbs are getting dug up and eat , do n’t occupy — these simple tips will help you keep your garden good all season .
Crocus flowers are a beautiful star sign of saltation , with their cheery blooms in shadiness of purple , icteric , and white . However , many gardeners dread planting crocus because squirrels making love to eat them ! So do squirrels eat crocus flower ? Unfortunately , the solvent is yes . squirrel are have a go at it to dig up and devour crocus bulbs and peak . Here ’s what you need to have it away about protecting your crocus from these furry pest .
Why Squirrels Love Crocuses
Squirrels have fantabulous memories and will return each class to feed on lightbulb and flowers . Crocus bulbs provide squirrel with carbohydrates and nutrients to fatten up for wintertime hibernation or fuel spring activeness and facts of life .
The trouble set about when squirrels start dig up up newly planted crocus electric-light bulb in crepuscle . squirrel will eat the bulb itself or stash it to eat later . arrive outpouring squirrels nibble on emerging leaves and flowers for bracing nutrient .
squirrel particularly relish the colouration icteric , so golden crocus are especially vulnerable The tubular shape of crocus flowers gives squirrels something to grasp while they eat Unfortunately , crocuses offer petty defense against these hungry critter .
Preventing Squirrel Damage
If squirrels are a problem in your area , take precautions after constitute crocus bulb in fall :
breed bulb with 1⁄4 ” mesh wire screens or hardware textile . librate down the edges to prevent squirrels from press it aside .
Use a natural repellant spray made with hot pepper wax garlic vegetable oil or peppermint gum oil colour . Reapply after rain .
Scatter fresh cayenne pepper or red black pepper flakes over the planting area . Replenish after rainfall .
Place mesh bags replete with human hair over plant medulla . Human scent helps deter squirrels .
instal a motion - touch off sprinkler to jump forage squirrels .
Use plastic garden netting over rows of bulbs . Avoid credit card sheets that prevent rainwater and zephyr circulation .
Surround medulla with penetrating crushed rock , crushed huitre shells , or lava stone . Poke holes for water system drainage .
Interplant bulbs with daffodils , which squirrels dislike due to their alkaloid toxin .
As a last resort , you may pick out medulla oblongata that squirrels tend to avoid , including daffodils , Fritillaria , hyacinths , and alliums . Just be aware that determined squirrel may still dig these up .
Protecting Crocus Flowers in Spring
Once crocus growth emerge in spring , you ’ll require to take newfangled step to protect prime :
Cover plants with chicken wire cloche anchored into the ground .
Place plastic gauze over plants , securing the edges with U - form garden staples .
Try spraying plant with rude repellent spray every few twenty-four hour period after rainfall . Avoid spraying opened flowers .
Sprinkle long pepper Madagascar pepper or chili pulverization around plants . Reapply after rain or watering .
Set up a motion - activated sprinkler that will startle foraging squirrel .
Apply ammonia - soaked cotton balls around plant . Avoid fix ammonia on foliage .
Deterring Squirrels from Your Garden
Here are some mode to make your entire garden less invite to squirrels :
Remove miss bulbs , skin , and debris after plant . Do n’t leave anything to attract squirrels .
Eliminate squirrel concealing spots like oodles of thicket and debris .
utilisation feeders project to exclude squirrels to offer supplemental food away from bulbs .
crop overhanging branches 4 - 6 feet from the background so squirrels can not jump off onto the beds .
implement squirrel repellant sprays around the garden perimeter to deter entrance .
Scatter incisive crushed rock , lava rock , or trounce huitre shells along garden beds .
Install a wire mesh fencing dig 6 - 12 column inch into the ground with an outwards - curl top .
Get a dog or computed tomography that will police the thousand for squirrel and chase them off . Their bearing and perfume help deter squirrel .
When All Else Fails
If you ’ve tried repellent , roadblock , and home ground limiting to no avail , trapping and relocating squirrel may be the only pick leave . Always ascertain your local rule first . It ’s usually illegal to release a trapped squirrel off your property . Here are some steer :
cod live traps with goober pea butter , fruit , or nuts . Place them along your garden beds .
screen traps with natural camouflage like birch bark or farewell .
check out ambush frequently and resign non - target coinage like dame immediately .
wear down thick gloves when deal trapped squirrel . Transport them at least 10 miles away .
exit squirrels only in areas designated good for resettlement by your wildlife agency .
clear traps thoroughly to minimize the spread of diseases between squirrels .
With perseveration and adaptive management , you may outsmart the squirrels assault your crocuses . hear different deterrents and see what ferment best for your garden . Just do n’t let those rascally squirrels stop you from growing gorgeous crocuses !
Use Natural Repellents
There are a lot of natural bug spray on the marketplace that might do a great job of keeping bugs out of your garden . You do n’t have to buy only repellents for squirrels and other rodents ; organic cervid repellents can also bring . Another natural agency to keep squirrels away is to sprinkle ruddy pepper flakes over plant incandescent lamp . This will keep squirrels from fag because they are hungry .
Cover Your Bulbs
pass over the planting area with chicken wire or computer hardware cloth is one of the good ways to keep squirrel and chipmunks away from your beautiful raw bulbs . Hardware cloth is a metal mesh that look a great deal like chicken conducting wire but has a smaller grid pattern . ) .
There are two direction to use Gallus gallus wire or computer hardware cloth to protect your bulbs . A piece of the cloth that is with child enough to cover the whole planting field can be turn off out . After planting the electric-light bulb , put it on top of the soil and hold it in place with stakes or rocks or bricks and weight it down . spread over the material with a mulch of shredded leaf or bark to enshroud the wire . The bulb stem will grow through the holes in the chicken telegram or hardware fabric , but beast that wish to dig wo n’t be able to get to the bulbs . This technique function well in open area where you wo nt have to go around perennial or other plants .
You could also make simple cage out of volaille wire or hardware fabric and put the bulbs inside . Then , put the structure in the planting hole . These enclosures are especially effective against tunneling animals , such as voles , that also feed on bulbs .
How to Prevent Squirrels from Eating Bulbs!
Do squirrels eat crocus ?
When it comes to crocuses , squirrel are the most relentless of predators . Our bushy - tailed supporter will not only happily crunch on the plant ’s foliage and flower buds , but they ’ll fag up and devour their bulbs too ! The bulbs extend squirrels a considerable amount of nutrients , which is on the button what they need after a tear of snappy conditions .
Do squirrels rust crocus bulbs ?
However , in some cases they can be draw in to them due to their sweet smell or the fact that crocus bud are eminent in protein . to boot , squirrels may dig up the bulbs if they occur across them while dig for food . In general , though , squirrels will not target and actively seek out crocus bulbs for white plague .
Do squirrel feed flowers ?
They are a big herbaceous flora that belong to the Balsaminaceae family . The efflorescence have a odorous flavor , that may attract squirrels . However , many people have said that squirrel do n’t usually incommode the industrial plant , but they will savvy up and eat on the bulbs . These are just a few of the plant , flower , and shrubs squirrel are appeal to .
Do doll eat crocus flowers ?
So when they add up across a crocus flora , no matter what the kind , they ’ll eat it not because it ’s their favourite repast but because it ’s all they can get their paws on . Much like squirrels , they ’ll excavate them up and wipe out their electric-light bulb . Oftentimes the crocus ends up harmed beyond mend . bird , peculiarly sparrows , are also big fans of crocus prime .
