Allotments 4 All

Just noticed something has dug a hole in a pot of psnsies on my patio. The hole is about 3" diameter and 6" deep.The compost and a small bulb have been dug out. The pot is next to a step so the culprit didn't need to climb. Any ideas?

Squirrel :o

Magpies can go that deep anorl :o

Both a b. pest.

I had to cover my lily bulbs with a piece of chicken wire, spotted a squirrel digging them up  ;D

Squirrels  >:( >:( >:( they absolutely LOVE tulips  >:( >:( >:( mesh is essential !   Bury it under the spoil and plant pansies on top  ;)

Very few squirrels around here, nor magpies. Blackbird? Rat?

The hole size is right for a squirrel or a rat. I think squirrel,just because you don`t often see them doesn`t mean they are not around.

Noisy so and sos squirrels-two of them are competing for the territory around my walnut tree.

We've just done our winter tubs for the patio and have to mesh them all, even the ones under the patio doors or the squirrels get them all!
::)

I think I'll tell myself it's a squirrel, even though I know they are only rats with bushy tails! Trouble is, we do get rats around here but only occasionally see a squirrel. :(

Do badgers have access to your garden? We had a similar sized hole on the lottie, I thought it was rabbit, but I was reliably informed it was badger. Much smaller (damage) than I would have expected from something that size.

mice will make that kind of a hole, our garden is full of them

Your neighbors got cats

Our Gardens are crawling with cats but still get mice on the plots... actually seen some, and they get into my outside shed where I store the potatoes etc and birdfood.. got 30 with the trap last year but on 17 already this year!
:-X

Foxes!!

I'd only noticed the damage to that pot because I could see it through the window. Today I've realised that all the newly planted pots of bulbs I did last week have been got at. >:( I'm off to buy some more pansies tomorrow.

Caroline's post convinces me its a fox have a look from my experience;

A regular visitor to my garden a few years ago;





Now the damage;



The cheeky beggar loved flower bulbs and would you believe it would leave me golf balls in return.

I certainly understand the expression The sly old fox!

He does look rather lovely though Tee Gee.........he could have tidied up after himself :-\

I was once walking round the allotment site with my daughter, who was six and hadn't been in Britain more than a few months. She came running after me, 'Dad! There is wolf!'
So I went back with her to look at the wolf, and there was a fox lying on a piece of tarpaulin looking just like that.

The pots weren't knocked over, Teegee, which makes me think it might be something smaller. Will have to keep a lookout!

Mice also love crocus bulbs!

Well, having seen a rat upsidedown on my bird feeder right outside the kitchen window the other night, I think I have my answer- yuk! >:(