Squirrels are a natural part of a garden’s ecosystem but can also be a nuisance when planting flowers. Notorious for digging up flower beds, if you’ve noticed that your spring bulbs don’t look as full this year or have failed to bloom entirely, it’s likely that a squirrel has instead made a meal out of them.
Planting spring bulbs is an important food source for pollinators that emerge from winter hibernation. When squirrels dig up bulbs, this can harm the biodiversity that depends on their bloom, particularly bees. The head of Horticulture at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, Errol Reuben Fernandes, has shared his technique for stopping squirrels from getting to spring bulbs. This means you could also have a full flower bed this time next year.
In the video posted on Instagram, Fernandes said: “Squirrels love eating small bulbs and can easily sniff them out as they’re planted so shallowly,” but described how this can be “costly” and “disheartening” for gardeners.
And because squirrels don’t have any predators, they can be especially difficult to manage in the garden.
Fernandes explains how he previously “tried using chilli powder” and says the Carolina Reaper variety “can actually work quite well” for deterring squirrels from digging up bulbs. But for a more fool-proof method, Fernandes shares that he used galvanised steel gutter cowls to protect his spring bulbs.
A galvanised steel gutter cowl is a protective cover, often made of galvanized steel, designed to fit over gutter outlets or downpipes to prevent debris like leaves and twigs from entering and causing blockages.
The best kind for the job is a filter guard, which is usually used for protecting leaves and debris. You can find them in most home and garden stores, like B&Q, for £7.99 or online at Drainage Superstore for just £4.26.
In the video, the gardener shows snowdrops and Eranthis, which he says are “basically squirrel food,” before demonstrating how he places the gutter cowl over them and covers it with soil so it is no longer visible.
“They are buried in the ground over your bulbs so you won’t see them and they are rust proof so will last for years,” Fernandes wrote in the caption.
Commenting on the method, one user, @joeperkinsdesign, said, “Genius! Nothing I’ve ever tried has worked except planting bulbs they don’t like.”
Some users commented that a similar contraption could be made more cheaply using chicken wire.
Fernandes warns that this method won’t work for larger bulbs as they won’t be able to push through the holes, but it’s “brilliant for smaller bulbs like crocus, eranthis and snowdrops that mustn’t be planted too deeply.”
For an extra layer of protection, Fernandes advises placing branches of prickly shrubs over the planted bulbs, making it more difficult for the squirrels to dig at them.