Hello. I’m used to squirrels breaking the blooms off my tulips (they don’t eat them)
This year they’re doing the same to my various daffodils narcissus, jonquils etc and even my very favourite Fritallarias
I sprinkle cayenne or mustard powder but it doesn’t deter them (and very expensive)
Do you have any other suggestions please?
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners. Squirrels are definitely a nuisance and challenging to deal with. We get many questions about squirrels from gardeners, but I’ll refer you to a few previous answers posted on our site: Wretched squirrels destroying tulips, Problems with squirrels, Note that we DO NOT recommend you use cayenne pepper or hot chili peppers as a repellent.
Squirrels typically avoid daffodils, allium or fritillarias but this doesn’t seem to be the case with your squirrels. Sprinkling blood meal (nitrogen fertilizer) around your spring bulbs and flowers has been a successful deterrent for many. I know a few gardeners who swear by the plastic toy solution (decoy predator) – placing a large plastic snake in the garden to scare off the squirrels and chipmunks.
Good luck and I hope you win the battle!
May 10, 2023