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Squirrels and bulbs

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Eastern Gray Squirrel.
Photo: Jardin botanique de Montréal (Gilles Murray)
Sciurus carolinensis

If you have problems with squirrels digging up your newly planted spring bulbs, you can try one of the following deterrents:

  • When buying bulbs, choose ones that are less appealing to these small rodents – good options are alliums, daffodils, grape hyacinths and scilla.
  • Place a metal screen over top of the bulbs before covering them with soil.  
  • Sprinkle the soil with chicken-manure-based fertilizer (following the instructions on the label). Squirrels don’t like its smell.
  • Install a motion-detector sprinkler.

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