Flower bulbs make a 'box lunch' for garden pests

Bulbs are perfect, self-contained packages for gardeners. They're equipped with everything necessary to make flowers grow and bloom.

Problem is, that makes them a prize for predators, too.

"The perfect lunch box," said Leonard Perry, an extension professor with the University of Vermont. "Put them in the ground this fall and I guarantee you the plant pests will come."

But there are ways to minimize animal damage, and it begins by not underestimating your enemies. Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, mice, voles, moles and the many other critters that feast on flower bulbs are crafty. Observant, too.

"Just the fact you're disturbing the earth is a tip-off," Perry said. "These guys are curious. They'll know something is going on and come to investigate. Once they discover the newly planted bulbs, they'll assume it's food for getting them through winter and there you go. So much for any spring flower displays."

Deer and rabbits like grazing on the tender stems as they surface in early spring. Squirrels, chipmunks, voles and moles, among others, often dine underground. That requires designing a bulb defense in layers.

Here are some proven deterrents. For best results, use them in combination:

• Pest-resistant bulbs. Tulips are deer magnets but other, less appetizing bulbs are ignored, said Becky Heath, co-owner of Brent and Becky's Bulbs in Gloucester, Va. "In populated areas, where hunting is dangerous and there are no natural predators, deer have become brazen, going right up to the front door to eat something in a pot on a porch," she said. "Choose plants that either taste bad or are (naturally) poisonous." Inter-planting daffodils or alliums, both deer-resistant bulbs, among the more delectable tulips also can be effective.

• Fencing, wire covers, cages and other barriers. Voles, moles and chipmunks are notorious for tunneling their way to bulbs, shrubs and tree roots. "Put a wire mesh cage around them when you plant," Perry said. Fencing is expensive but it will keep deer out of the garden. Build them at least 7 feet high, however, since deer are excellent jumpers. An electric fence is another garden option.

• Unpleasant smells and flavors. "We put bulbs in a plastic bucket and spray them with something that tastes nasty (but) that's not necessarily poisonous," Heath said. "Let the spray dry and then plant the bulbs. For insurance, we often spray the ground when the new shoots begin to emerge." Many such repellents are sold and most come with strict guidelines for their use. "We usually get people to check with their local extension agent to see what's allowed in each area," Heath said.

• Lights, sprinklers and barking dogs. Motion detectors attached to water sprinklers and spotlights can be effective. "A tethered dog often works," Perry said. "But it doesn't take long for deer to learn the length of the tether and ignore it."

• Other ideas:

Try planting closer to the house or giving bulb-eating animals a distant, alternative garden of their own.

Shooting and poisons are the ultimate sanctions, but both come with safety concerns: Both risk injury or damage beyond the intended target.

"I don't like using poisons even if you don't have kids or pets," Perry said. "They can work their way into the food chain and get into edibles. I'd much rather use biological controls such as burying bulbs with something unappetizing like ground up shells."

Trapping is yet another alternative, although many communities have rules against relk with city hall before making any moves.

Successfully controlling animal pests around the yard will depend on your timing, methods and resolve. Be aware that what may have worked previously for you or a neighbor may not work again. "Use a few different things in different areas to stay ahead of the game," Perry said.

One of the best defenses against bulb-eating animals is mixing the bitter with the sweet: harsh-tasting alliums and daffodils, for example, intermingled with beds of predator-magnet tulips.

Here is a list of proven pest-resistant bulbs, courtesy of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center. All rank high on beauty and low on pest appeal, the center said.

• Allium, or ornamental onion

• Chionodoxa or glory of the snow

• Crocus

• Eranthis or winter aconite, a member of the buttercup family

• Fritillaria or mission bells

• Galanthus or snowdrop

• Hyacinthoides or bluebell

• Hyacinthus or hyacinth

• Muscari or grape hyacinth

• Narcissus, more commonly known as daffodil