Tips for deterring squirrels from bulbs

Although cute and often funny, squirrels can be a pest in the garden, particularly at this time of year when they target precious spring bulbs.

Here are our best bits of advice to deter squirrels from munching on your tulips and crocuses.

Cover your pots
A physical barrier can be a good way to put off the most determined squirrels.

Use chicken wire or a thin layer of sticks to cover any pots containing spring bulbs. Remove when the first shoots start to appear.

Plant things they don’t like close by
Squirrels have quite particular taste, so planting things they don’t like nearby can put them off. Some spring bulbs squirrels can’t stand include:

• daffodils
• alliums
• hyacinth
• snowdrops
  

Planting these in a ‘bulb lasagne’ - where you layer bulbs that flower at different times in a pot - means you’ll also get a much longer season from your spring bulb displays.

Add scents they disklike
Squirrels have sensitive noses as well as taste, so introducing smells they dislike can be a good deterrent.

Try sprinkling used coffee grounds or making your own garlic spray.

Bear in mind you’ll need to keep adding these as the scents will get washed away and fade after a while.

Scarers
Consider investing in something that scares squirrels.

Owl or falcon ornaments can put squirrels off – though you’ll need to keep moving them around as the rodents get used to them.

Another option is a noise deterrer – a device that goes off when a squirrel goes past and makes a noise. It’s a high pitched noise at a frequency that most of us can’t hear, but squirrels hate.