What would snip off he heads of tulips as they are about to bloom? My mother thinks it is squirrels but I thought I once heard of some sort of worm/bug/catipillar that did that -- anyone know the correct answer? The buds are never eaten. They're just lying next to the flower, snipped so close to the top that they can't even be put in water to bloom.
Giselle (I just can't picture squirrels out there with teeny little scissors massacring tulips for no particular reason...)
Definitely Squirrels! I've seen them. I tried the natural way of dissuading them (mixture of cayenne pepper and butter to hold it in place right under the blooms) I think they liked that even better.
After that I used automotive grease under there (just d> What would snip off he heads of tulips as they are about to bloom? My
Rabbits too. I have seen them do exactly that and have not bought any tulips after that disheartening experience.
Jean B.
Robert Chambers wrote:
Deer and woodchucks.
Jean B. wrote:
Deer get mine as soon as they are ready to bloom.
Ellen
In my neighborhood, we call squirrels 'little bastards' for what they do to the tulips.
Okay, squirrels it is. Does anyone have a theory about the snipping of yon tulip heads by the miserable, fuzzy tailed rodents?
Giselle (is it just some teen-squirrel rite of passage perhaps? Akin with smacking mailboxes with baseball bats and TPing trees for human youth?)
"\"Fragile Warrior\" Volfie" wrote in news:d5p2ja$163j$ snipped-for-privacy@news.iquest.net:
Are the tulips mostly red shades? Around here the 'furry-tailed rats' are really attracted to reddish objects, mostly my neighbor's lily buds and ripening tomatoes.
"\"Fragile Warrior\" Volfie" wrote in news:d5p2ja$163j$ snipped-for-privacy@news.iquest.net:
Thanks a lot. I was looking forward watching the conclusion on CSI: Animal Planet. j/k :-)
Sorry. Should have put a *spoiler* on the post.
:D
Thanks for the heads up on squirrels and red. I never put the 2 together, but now that you mention it .... Those miserable rats with fuzzy tails chomped off my red tulips before they opened, regularly pick tomato after tomato, taking 1 bite and leaving the rest on the ground to rot, and devour the inside fruit of my my Chinese lanterns just as they color up. Danged varmits!!!!
Suzy O, Zone 5
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