There’s nothing more frustrating than planting a bed of tulips in the fall and finding empty holes in the spring. Squirrels dig bulbs up from above, and voles eat them from below. A few steps at planting time keep your bulbs where you put them.
Know your culprits
Squirrels watch you plant. Freshly dug soil is a signal that something good is buried there, and they’ll dig it up within days.
Voles work underground and under mulch, tunneling to bulbs and eating them from below. You often won’t know until nothing comes up in spring.
Step 1: Clean up after planting
Squirrels are drawn to loose soil and bulb debris. After planting, rake away papery bulb skins and firm the soil so the bed doesn’t look freshly dug.
Step 2: Choose bulbs wisely
Tulips and crocus are favorites. Daffodils are rarely bothered, so mixing them into your beds helps.
Step 3: Protect the bed from above
Spray Squirrel Stopper around the planting area and along the paths squirrels use to reach it, such as fence lines and nearby tree bases. Apply it around the bed rather than directly on plants.
Step 4: Protect the bed from below
Spread Mole & Vole Stopper Granular over and around the bed after planting. Its castor oil formula works in the soil, where voles feed and tunnel, so they move on before they find your bulbs.
Step 5: Keep it up through winter
Voles stay active all winter, often tunneling under snow. Keep protection in place until spring.
Stay protected: Reapply about every 30 days, regardless of rain or watering, or at first sight of animal activity.
Shop bulb protection
- Squirrel Stopper: stops digging from above
- Mole & Vole Stopper Granular: stops voles from below
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