Don’t let squirrels steal your bulbs — here’s how I keep them out of my planters

I love watching squirrels chasing about in my backyard – I’m even watching a sprightly pair right now as they dart across the top of my fencing and leap onto a tree. My backyard is an exciting playground for these little fellas.

But, although they put a smile on my face with their athletic antics, there’s one thing they do that makes me mad. As soon as I plant my spring bulbs, they are on the case. They must have an automatic sensor that alerts them to a tasty supper stash.

This year, for the first time, I’ve tried a new approach to keeping them away, as expletives just didn’t work. So, instead of scaring them away with my bad language, I’ve been using a physical barrier, and I’m amazed at the results.

After planting the bulbs in my containers, I’ve placed some chicken wire over the top. And all I needed was one sheet of chicken wire from my local hardware store and a pair of wire cutters. I purchased a small sheet of chicken wire, as I didn't need as much as a roll, but you could try this Chicken Wire Fencing (15.7 inches x 6 ft), $7.99 at Amazon.

How to prevent squirrels pinching your bulbs

Here are the steps I take to prevent squirrels from snatching my freshly planted bulbs.

1. For each pot size, cut out a template the size of the pot’s top.

2. Place the template on top of the chicken wire, then cut around it with the wire cutters.

3. Position the chicken wire on top of your soil and secure it in place. You may find it helps to bend the chicken wire slightly downward around the perimeter to keep it secure.

4. Once you see the bulbs have established and the tips of the plants peeping through the soil, remove the chicken wire.

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There is one catch

Although this method works well for bulbs planted in containers, it’s a bit trickier to achieve in a flower bed. But for me, since I only plant bulbs in containers that I can move around, it works a treat. I also like the pretty aesthetic of having a mix of different planters.

Squirrels have their favorites

However, squirrels don’t eat all bulbs, although they do favor the taste of tulips and crocuses. And American Meadows describes them as the equivalent of catnip for squirrels. So, one way to prevent them from digging up your spring-flowering bulbs is to choose a selection that they find unsavoury.

As an alternative, you could try daffodils, alliums, hyacinths and snowdrops.

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