How to stop squirrels digging up bulbs - 7 easy ways to protect your bulbs and ensure beautiful springtime blooms

If you want to know how to stop squirrels from digging up bulbs, there’s a high chance that you’ve already experienced the heartache of losing bulbs to these nutty visitors. 

After all, the last thing you want is for these animals to derail your garden ideas. But if you want to get started on planting bulbs for spring, it’s important to understand that you can’t just expect squirrels to leave your bulbs alone without any human intervention. To them, bulbs are an all-you-can-eat buffet of goodness - which means that you need to step in.

But while it’s fairly hard to get squirrels out of your loft, you’ll be happy to know that it’s much easier to stop squirrels from digging up your bulbs. And when you’ve done everything you can to keep these pesky animals at bay, you can instead focus on enjoying your blooming springtime garden next year. 

How to stop squirrels digging up bulbs

‘As many bulbs such as crocuses and tulips are planted in autumn, they’re a target for squirrels who dig them up to eat when other food sources are in short supply,’ explains Jonathan Nicholls, pest control expert at HomeHow.co.uk. That’s why it’s important that you make these bulbs as undesirable as possible. And this is how you can do it. 

1. Feed the squirrels

It may sound a little counterintuitive, but feeding the squirrels that make their way into your garden is one of the best ways to keep them at bay. The idea is that, by feeding them nuts, seeds, and even fresh fruits and veggies, they won’t need to go in search of other food (i.e. your bulbs).

To ensure that the squirrels in your garden are taking advantage of this alternative food you have on offer, opt for a specific squirrel feeder.

Wildlife World Wooden Squirrel Feeder, £18.99 at Amazon

These work much better than bird feeders, as squirrels prefer to sit down when they eat. You can even add a whimsical edge to your squirrel feeder by choosing one in the shape of a picnic table, like these on Etsy.

View Deal

2. Plant further down

To stop squirrels digging up your bulbs, you need to stop giving them the opportunity. However, many novice gardeners make a common gardening mistake when planting their bulbs, and they don’t plant them deep enough. 

When they’re closer to the surface, squirrels have even more opportunity to sniff out these bulbs and then dig them out. So, try and make sure that you’re planting them around 6-8 inches deep, no matter whether you’re planting straight into the ground or into pots. 

Stainless Steel Bulb Planter, £10.90 at Amazon

You don’t have to dig this by eye, though. This nifty bulb planter can do all of the hard work and measuring for you. 

View Deal

3. Cover them up

Although squirrels want to eat your bulbs, they don’t want to put too much effort into doing so. If they find that they can’t easily get to them, they’ll simply give up and move on to another food source. Because of this, covering them up is a great way to stop squirrels from digging up your bulbs. 

‘I recommend covering your bulbs with the likes of chicken wire or netting to stop a squirrel from digging into the bulb's soil,’ explains Steve Chilton, garden expert at LeisureBench. ‘The bulb will still be able to grow up and through the wire, but any squirrels won't be able to reach into the bulb and dig it up. To make sure that no animals ever get caught up in your covering, you have to ensure that it's really tight over your bulbs and doesn't pose a threat.’

If you don’t have any spare chicken wire lying around, you could also try scattering crushed stones or crushed shells on top of the soil. Although it’s unlikely to be as effective as chicken wire, it could keep the squirrels away.

4. Use natural deterrents

If you don’t want squirrels anywhere near your bulbs, it might be a good idea to focus on the things that squirrels absolutely hate. And as they’re sensitive to some smells, strong-smelling substances can come in extremely handy. 

For example, squirrels hate the smell of coffee grounds. So, next time you empty out your coffee machine, don’t just throw away your old grounds - spread them around your bulbs instead! Not only will this keep the squirrels at bay, but it will have the added bonus of adding vital nitrogen to the soil, making your flowers healthier than ever. 

As well as coffee grounds, squirrels are also known to hate the smell of cinnamon, black pepper, and garlic powder. Just remember that all of these things will be washed away every time it rains, however.

5. Choose different bulbs

You’d be forgiven for thinking that squirrels love the taste of all bulbs. But, in reality, there are only a few bulbs that they can eat. On their list of favourites are tulip bulbs and crocuses, but that’s normally where their menu ends - either because they hate the smell of other bulbs or because they’re extremely toxic.

In fact, squirrels normally avoid daffodil bulbs and allium bulbs purely on the basis that they hate the stench that comes from them. But when it comes to hyacinths, snowdrops, and Muscari, squirrels will actively steer clear of them because they are deadly to them. 

Because of this, one of the best ways to stop squirrels from digging up your bulbs is to choose different bulbs. If you can, avoid using tulips and crocuses altogether. But if you can’t bear to get rid of them, try and plant a mixture of squirrel-loving bulbs and squirrel-hating bulbs within close proximity of each other. 

6. Avoid smelly fertilisers

When trying to grow bulbs for spring, it can be easy to add a fertiliser or nutrient-rich mulch to the soil to encourage healthy plants and growth. Of course, this is great for your flowers… but only if the bulbs survive until spring. 

If you want to stop squirrels from digging up your precious bulbs, try to avoid using smelly fertilisers on or around your bulbs. That’s because squirrels are extremely attracted to the likes of blood meal, bone meal, and fish emulsion. 

Basically, anything that smells delicious and natural is like a 5-star meal for squirrels, so opt for a soil topper that doesn’t have a strong odour instead. Alternatively, don’t use one at all. 

7. Delay planting

Although most spring flower bulbs are planted between September and November, this is normally when squirrels are most active. During this time, they often gather food before the winter cold kicks in, allowing them to keep a stash to feast on during these colder months. 

Because of this, it might work in your favour to delay planting your bulbs. Squirrels have normally finished their gathering by early November, and many varieties of bulbs are happy to wait until the end of the year to be planted. In fact, bulb planting is one of the best jobs to do in the garden in November.

Just remember to research your bulbs and their needs before you delay planting, as you don’t want to miss the boat for springtime blooms. 

FAQs

So good night and good luck! Here's hoping you're able to keep the squirrels off your carefully planted bulbs.