Bulbs are not food for squirrels Those cute little guys can drive the nicest gardener to distraction. You've just finished planting all those expensive named tulips and along comes the resident squirrel who, noticing the freshly dug soil, reaches down in and pulls up one tender morsel after another, taking a nibble and nonchallantly tossing it aside for another. What's a gardener to do? Try placing a mesh cover over the area if it's not too large. Chicken wire works well. Anchor the edges and cover with leaves so it doesn't look unsightly. Remember to remove the wire in the spring before the bulbs starting coming up. Sprinkly the area liberally with blood meal. Most squirrels don't like it although some seem to find it an acquired taste. If there is a rain, you'll need to reapply the bloodmeal. Plant twice as many bulbs throughout your garden as you think you want. That way they'll be some for the squirrels and some for next spring's flower show. Plant each bulb area intensively. Squirrels are fickle and don't stay at any task very long so some bulbs will probably survive. Layer your bulbs. The squirrels might think they've got all there is on the top layer. Remember that bulbs planted a little deeper may come up a week or two later in the spring.

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