allboys Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 What is the best way to deal with whatever it is that has decided my flower bed is its dining room table? I had a flower bed FULL of lilies, they were gorgeous and I was closing in on having about 80 of them. Something is eating the bulbs and I'm not especially happy about that. It's hard enough that someone is cutting my flowers (pretty easy to tell they were cut off). I have no idea what it is that is eating them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccermom Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Skunks like the bulbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 You may want to find someone with a swimming pool that uses diatomaceous earth and get a couple of pounds of used stuff to sprinkle over the plants and soil. Also, anyone who is capable of and daring enough to urinate on the corners (be specific about where) will help. A "Scarecrow" water deterrent (found on the internet) will chase even deer out of that bed. Sprinkle red pepper where your bulbs are being dug up. You can get a predator pee from a hunting store and use it as a misting agent. More ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pheobe Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Squirrels and chipmunks are the culprits at our house. We've been using the repellant spray. You have to spray it after every rain and it stinks until it dries. It's been working great for the deer and squirrels and so-so for the chipmunks. I'm pretty sure most critters like Lily bulbs. Maybe it'll work for the humans too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 The only sure way to protect bulbs is to plant them in wire cages. The mesh should be small enough to keep critters out but large enough to let the plants grow through. The culprits range from voles to skunks. Deer love the lily buds and groundhogs get the leaves. You can use the usual sprays, soap and whatever but nothing is foolproof and you must continually renew whatever you use. Switching tactics as the critters become accustomed to whatever you are using helps too. I think that things like the rotten egg stuff and ammonia just confuse the sense of smell of the sensitive noses of the animals. There are systemics that contain pepper that are supposedly drawn up into the foliage and presumably would be incorporated in the bulb. I've had one person tell me they work if you start with them very early and several people tell me they offer little if any protection. Most of my Asiatic lilies are eaten and now they are starting on the daylilies. Such is life in the woods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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