Tulip bulbs are a favored target for a variety of garden inhabitants, and discovering a newly planted bed has been ravaged by wildlife is a common frustration for gardeners. The tulip’s plump, starchy structure and mild flavor make it a highly desirable food source, especially when other options are scarce during the fall and winter. Culprits range from small rodents that attack from below the soil to larger mammals that browse the foliage and buds from above.
Underground Predators: The Primary Consumers of Tulip Bulbs
The most destructive tulip consumers operate entirely beneath the soil, making identification challenging but necessary for targeted prevention. Voles, small, mouse-like rodents with short tails, are common subterranean culprits. They create shallow, irregular tunnels or “runs” across the soil surface, leading to small entry holes near the planted bulbs. Vole damage is characterized by clean consumption of the entire bulb, often leaving behind only shredded papery husks.
Pocket gophers also feed on tulip bulbs, but their activity leaves distinct signs. Gophers are solitary rodents that create horseshoe or crescent-shaped mounds of soil, plugging the entry hole after digging. They pull whole plants down into their burrows, consuming the entire bulb and root system. Mice and shrews are smaller threats that may utilize existing tunnels, sometimes consuming or partially nibbling bulbs.
Above-Ground Raiders: Identifying Surface Damage to Planted Beds
Not all bulb predators attack from below; some create damage visible on the soil surface or to emerging shoots. Squirrels are notorious for digging up newly planted bulbs, often within days of planting, leaving messy, shallow holes. While they consume bulbs, they frequently dig them up intending to re-bury them later, sometimes discarding them after a few bites or moving them elsewhere.
Rabbits and deer rarely dig up the bulb itself, but they readily consume tender foliage and flower buds as they emerge. Rabbits use sharp incisors to make a clean, angled cut on the stem or leaves close to the ground. Deer, which lack upper incisors, browse by tearing, resulting in jagged edges on the leaves and buds. Continual consumption of above-ground growth prevents photosynthesis, leading to the bulb’s decline and failure to flower.
Targeted Prevention: Keeping Tulip Bulbs Safe
Protecting tulips from underground pests requires creating a physical barrier to block their access. One effective method involves using galvanized hardware cloth (typically one-half inch mesh) to construct a protective cage around the bulbs. This wire mesh should line the bottom and sides of the planting area, completely enclosing the bulbs while allowing roots and shoots to grow through. Mixing coarse materials like crushed oyster shells or sharp gravel into the planting hole can also discourage burrowing rodents, as the texture is abrasive.
Above-ground threats like squirrels can be deterred immediately after planting by covering the area with a temporary barrier, such as chicken wire or window screening, until the ground freezes. This prevents digging in the loose soil, and the barrier should be removed before spring growth begins. Repellents, which use unpleasant tastes or odors like capsaicin, garlic, or predator scents, can be applied directly to the bulbs before planting or sprayed on emerging foliage. A long-term strategy for both types of pests is to interplant tulips with naturally distasteful bulbs, such as daffodils or Crown Imperial fritillaria, which contain toxic or foul-smelling alkaloids.