Tulips vs. rodents: Who wins?

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers of spring; they motivate me to get out and start gardening. After investing time and effort planting them in the fall, I am disappointed when someone else loves the tulips--a little too much! Squirrels, skunks, or an occasional groundhog have dug out my tulip bulbs for a snack. I never know who has done it, but rodents are very good at finding and destroying a patch of tulips, leaving shreds of stem and dirt scattered in their path. Mice, squirrels, skunk, groundhog, beaver, rats, voles, and chipmunks are all skilled diggers, and will seek out flower bulbs. Tulips are a high-energy food for rodents, and in their quest for food, they will consume bulbs, seeds, berries, fruit, or vegetables by digging through any garden. To thwart their curious noses, plant tulips away from bird feeders, compost piles, or other sources of food. Pet food left outdoors also draws rodents. If rodents manage to miss unearthing the bulbs, rabbits and deer are happy to chew up the stems and flowers of many tulips and lilies in the spring. What brings these little expert diggers to your garden or landscape? The rodents are not just looking for food; they also need water, shelter, and warmth from cold. Places that provide shelter and protection from wind are leaf piles, woodpiles, tall grasses, and shrubs. If the rodents find a patch of tulips nearby, they've hit the jackpot! Thirsty wildlife will be drawn to water sources such as birdbaths and ponds. While you may not want to deny them water, food, and shelter, you may have favorite bulbs near these necessities. Rodents may harbor where large rocks and compost piles retain heat. Mice and voles will use mole tunnels to attack a bulb patch from underground. (Don't blame the moles, they eat grubs!) We can employ defensive strategies to save our tulips. Deterrents such as netting and fencing may slow down a rodent, but eventually they will find a way under or over what stands in their way of a tulip meal. Tulip and lily bulb cages are available for sale, however, these can be expensive. (https://whiteflowerfarm.com, https://www.brecks.com). Instructions for building your own bulb boxes are available online (https://flowergardennews.com) . Bulb boxes can be constructed from hardware cloth with holes 1/2" wide to prevent rodents from eating through the box. Box frames made of wood with chicken wire fastened with a staple gun can also be effective, although holes will be larger than 1/2". Window screen material is also an option, stretched around a wood frame. Spring Hill Nursery sells a hard plastic bulb "lifting" basket with marked depth lines intended for calla lilies, gladiolus, and dahlias which must be removed in fall to avoid freezing, and could be used for tulips (www.springhillnursery.com). Cost is approximately $10. If you have a large patch of tulips, consider laying a panel of hardware cloth across the ground to prevent damage. Other strategies to win the tulip war with rodents include planting bulbs deeper than suggested (deeper than 6"), making the effort much more difficult for the rodents, and delaying planting until later in the season, after rodents are done foraging for food. Scent deterrent and repellent sprays are available, but need to be applied frequently. "Home remedies" such as predator urine, garlic, and hot pepper may be of some benefit. Gravel used in the planting hole above and below the bulbs makes digging very difficult for the subterranean varmints. Decorative stone placed around patches of bulbs may prove to make tulip bulbs not worth the effort. Fake predators such as plastic owls and snakes, and animal sounds are fairly ineffective; rodents are intelligent and very adaptable, and may ignore or get used to a plastic imitation of a predator. Companion planting with plants containing pyrethrin or strong essential oils may be effective, overpowering and confusing the rodent's sense of smell. Marigolds, mint, lavender, peppermint, and chrysanthemums are all plants rodents would rather walk away from. Some flowers contain natural chemicals that smell or taste bad. If tulip damage by rodents is an uphill battle each year, try planting resistant bulb varieties such as allium, daffodils, hyacinth, winter aconite, summer snowflake, Siberian squill, camassia, foxtail lily, fritillaria, Spanish bluebells, iris, grape hyacinth, and snowdrops. Ultrasonic sound waves and flashing LED lights can prove to be very unwelcoming to rodents, in the form of a stake device, Squirrel Fortress Pro. Rodents rely on eyesight to detect danger, and the stake devices operate on a pattern of light which is uncomfortable to the rodent, disrupting their sense of safety. The device does not harm the rodent and works in all weather conditions. The device is available from https://zerosquirrels.com. You may need to use a couple of these strategies to deter rodents from feasting on your favorite tulips, but the beautiful tulips are worth it!