How to Protect Tulip Bulbs From Voles
Meadow voles are harmless creatures and actually pretty cute, but for gardeners they can be a big nuisance. These furry, mouse-like rodents are voracious eaters. Their favorite foods include flower bulbs and tubers, root crops like carrots and beets, and the roots of ornamental plants. They also chew on the bark of shrubs and small trees.
Voles can be found throughout the northern half of the country. One vole isn’t a problem — but they don’t come in ones. Female voles mature in just 35 to 40 days and during their 12-month lifespan, they can have as many as 10 litters of 3 to 6 young!
My yard and gardens are surrounded by acres of pasture and hay meadows. It’s ideal habitat for voles. We manage to keep most of them out of the vegetable garden with a 24” tall fence made of hardware cloth that also extends 18” underground.
Keeping them out of the flower gardens is much more difficult. After losing hundreds of tulip bulbs to these pesky rodents, I had simply stopped planting tulips. Three years ago I decided to try again and a simple trick has made all the difference. When I plant the bulbs, I mix in a blend of crushed oyster shells, red pepper flakes and granulated garlic.
The garlic odor seems to mask the appealing smell of the tulip bulbs, and the hot pepper flakes and sharp oyster shells serve as a protective barrier.
You can find crushed oyster shells (sometimes called poultry grit) at farm or feed stores, pool supply stores or landscaping suppliers. A 15 lb. bag of them goes for $16 on Amazon, but a 50 lb. bag (which will last you a few years) goes for about the same price if you can find it locally. Make sure the texture of the oyster shells is coarse rather than powdery.
I buy large containers of red pepper flakes and granulated garlic from Costco. Though I don’t usually measure, the proportions are probably about 10 cups of oyster shells to ½ cup of garlic and ½ cup of red pepper. Combine all three in a bucket and bring the bucket around with you as you’re planting. Put a handful of the mixture into each hole before you put in the tulip bulbs.
I hope this vole deterrent works as well in your garden as it does in mine. Please let us know if you give it a try. Happy planting!
I lost a lot of perennials last season too. When planting new perennials, would you use this mixture as well?
Thank you!
Have never used it with perennials, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work there, too!
How many years will this work? Do you have to re-apply every so often?
Hi Kathy — Tulips rarely perform as perennials, so they usually need to be replanted every year or two. I re-apply the oyster shell/garlic/red pepper deterrent every time I plant fresh bulbs. It’s inexpensive insurance!
Would 100% Quartzite, 3/8”average size, work instead of the oyster shells?
Hi Peter – I have no experience using crushed stone but it seems like it would work in a similar way.
If you give it a try and have success, please leave a comment here and I’ll update the post with this alternative. Thanks!
I’m looking forward to trying this! Do you put the mixture directly on top of the bulb in the ground?
Hi Adrienne – I usually position the bulbs first and then sprinkle the mixture on top. I find it’s easier to space the bulbs on dark soil rather than when the soil is covered with the white grit. Hope it works for you!
I plan to use the crushed oyster shells, granulated garlic and red pepper flakes when I plant tulips this fall. Question: After digging the hole for the flower bulb, do I place the bulb in and surround it with the shell, garlic, red pepper flakes mixture and use no soil around the bulb? Do I then put soil on top of the bulb. Sorry for my confusion. Thank you.
Hi Amelia – I add the mix to the planting hole so it winds up being right under or around the bulb. The main objective is to disguise the scent of the bulbs (which have a slightly sweet aroma to critters with a good nose). I think it winds up being a teaspoon or so per bulb.