Crocus flowers are often one of the first signs of spring, offering a welcome contrast to the late-winter landscape. This early emergence makes them a highly visible and valuable food source for various garden visitors. The tender foliage and energy-rich subterranean corms represent a much-needed meal after a long, sparse winter. Protecting your spring display requires understanding which specific creatures are causing the damage, as different pests target different parts of the plant. This guide will help you identify the culprits and protect your garden from both surface-level browsing and underground attacks.
Pests That Eat Crocus Flowers and Foliage
Damage to the above-ground parts of the crocus is typically caused by larger mammals and common invertebrates seeking fresh, tender vegetation. Identifying the exact pest relies on examining the specific characteristics of the bite or tear marks left on the leaves and stems.
Rabbits are frequent culprits, often leaving behind a clean, angled cut on the stems and foliage, almost as if the plant was neatly clipped with scissors. They tend to feed close to the ground, concentrating on new growth that appears in early spring.
Deer, while generally less interested in crocus than other bulbs like tulips, will browse on the flowers and leaves when other food sources are scarce. Their damage is characterized by ragged, torn edges on the foliage because they lack upper incisor teeth and must twist or pull the plant to break it off.
Small creatures like squirrels and certain birds also contribute to above-ground damage, though their feeding patterns differ. Squirrels sometimes bite off flower buds and foliage, but they are usually preoccupied with digging and accessing the underground corm. Birds, especially sparrows, may peck at colorful petals, sometimes to consume the flower or to reach small insects. Slugs and snails create irregular holes in the leaves, leaving behind shiny, slimy trails as they move across the plant surfaces.
Pests That Target Crocus Bulbs
Damage occurring underground results in the crocus failing to emerge or a healthy plant suddenly collapsing. This destruction is almost exclusively the work of burrowing rodents, which view the starch-filled corms as an ideal winter food source.
Voles are dedicated herbivores that tunnel just beneath the soil surface, consuming entire bulbs from below. They often use existing mole tunnels to access the corms, leaving behind narrow, crisscrossing runways in the lawn or small entry holes near the planting bed. The primary evidence of their feeding is the complete absence of the bulb, often leaving only the papery tunic behind in the soil.
In contrast, squirrels and chipmunks attack from the surface, actively digging up freshly planted bulbs to consume them. These pests are identified by the visible evidence of digging, such as displaced soil or small, shallow holes directly above the corms. Mice and rats also eat crocus bulbs, especially during winter when their usual food supply is low. Gophers, another subterranean pest, cause similar damage to voles by consuming the bulb from an established tunnel system.
Distinguishing Damage and Effective Prevention
Accurately identifying the pest is the first step toward effective mitigation, as above-ground browsers require different defenses than burrowing rodents. A clean, angled cut on a stem suggests a rabbit, which can be deterred with low-level wire fencing or temporary netting. Jagged tears on the remaining foliage point toward deer, which require taller barriers or the application of commercial taste-based repellents to the leaves.
For subterranean pests, the solution involves physical barriers or making the corms unappealing. If you suspect voles or gophers, planting the corms inside cages made of half-inch hardware cloth offers protection, allowing roots to grow while blocking rodents. Surrounding the corms with a layer of sharp, coarse gravel or crushed stone is an effective deterrent, as voles dislike tunneling through abrasive material. Surface diggers like squirrels can be discouraged by covering the newly planted area with a temporary layer of wire mesh or chicken wire, secured to the ground and removed once the foliage begins to grow. Interplanting crocus with unpalatable bulbs like daffodils or alliums can help mask the scent of the vulnerable corms.