"squirrels eats my tulip bulbs"

Yes, according to Wordtracker "squirrels eats my tulip bulbs" is typed into the Overture search box on average twice every day. Clearly there is a real problem here and the message boards and forums are full of helpful advice.

The problem.You plant your tulip bulbs with loving care in anticipation of a mass of colorful blooms in the spring but a few days later you find that the soil has been disturbed, your precious bulbs have gone leaving a few half-chewed remains behind.

The suggested remedies. The first is to place a barrier to stop the squirrels reaching the bulbs. Lay a piece of chicken wire over the bulbs or even make a wire cage to protect them. Other suggestions are to place a layer of sharp gravel or crushed oyster shells above your bulbs.

Many people reported that alliums deter squirrels. One lady said that she had planted alliums all around her garden boundaries and she had not been troubled by squirrels or rabbits since.

Squirrels detect the presence of bulbs by smell so, by planting his tulips ten inches below the ground, one man had found his answer.

Another suggestion was to scatter dried blood/blood meal on the surface of the soil. This had the added benefit of acting as a fertilizer as well as deterring the squirrels. Someone else had found that mustard powder was equally effective.

For a rather more drastic remedy listen to this lady: "I was taught in my Master Gardening Class now more than a few years ago that if you dusted with number six to eight shot it would cure the problem.. You dust the squirrels not the bulbs." If guns are out then you could try a wrist rocket sling shot.

There was one matter upon which nearly everyone agreed that squirrels would not touch daffodils since the bulbs are poisonous. Mind you it is not easy to see how this helps your tulip bulbs. A final idea was that you should plant your bulbs in layers - daffodils at 6 inches, tulips at four inches and crocus on top at two inches deep. How this would stop the squirrels from removing the crocus and tulips and leaving the daffodils was not clear.

So if you suffer from this problem there are a number of remedies that you can try and, with luck, one should work for you.

Have you ever wondered how to plant 100 tulip bulbs in 30 minutes? Or where you can find cheap tulip bulbs?