Pest identification
What's eating my common garden tulip?
Squirrels & mice
Signs: Bulbs dug up and eaten, or bite marks on bulbs left in the ground; vanishing plantings after autumn planting.
Control: Cover beds with wire mesh (chicken wire) pegged flat after planting; use bulb cages; plant in containers with mesh lids; try deterrent sprays.
Slugs & snails
Signs: Holes in emerging leaves and petals; shoots may be severed; slime trails visible at night.
Control: Iron-phosphate pellets placed as shoots emerge in spring; hand-pick; use grit mulch around emerging tips.
Tulip bulb aphid (Dysaphis tulipae)
Signs: Waxy, grey-pink colonies on bulbs in storage and on leaves/stems after planting; can transmit tulip breaking virus.
Control: Inspect bulbs before storing; discard infected bulbs; dust stored bulbs with diatomaceous earth; remove aphid colonies on growing plants with soapy water.
Deer
Signs: Flowers and upper foliage browsed off, often leaving bare stems; entire shoots pulled from soil in light infestations.
Control: Deer repellent sprays on foliage; physical fencing; inter-plant with deer-resistant species such as alliums.
Keep common garden tulip pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Common Garden Tulip pests — FAQ
What is eating my common garden tulip?
Common garden tulips are most at risk from tulip bulb aphid in storage and slugs on emerging shoots. Squirrels and mice are major threats — they dig up and eat bulbs. Deer browse flowers and foliage. Aphids can also spread tulip breaking virus, causing colour-streaked petals. Protect bulbs and shoots on multiple fronts.
How do I get rid of squirrels & mice on common garden tulip?
Bulbs dug up and eaten, or bite marks on bulbs left in the ground; vanishing plantings after autumn planting. Cover beds with wire mesh (chicken wire) pegged flat after planting; use bulb cages; plant in containers with mesh lids; try deterrent sprays.
How do I get rid of slugs & snails on common garden tulip?
Holes in emerging leaves and petals; shoots may be severed; slime trails visible at night. Iron-phosphate pellets placed as shoots emerge in spring; hand-pick; use grit mulch around emerging tips.
How do I get rid of tulip bulb aphid (dysaphis tulipae) on common garden tulip?
Waxy, grey-pink colonies on bulbs in storage and on leaves/stems after planting; can transmit tulip breaking virus. Inspect bulbs before storing; discard infected bulbs; dust stored bulbs with diatomaceous earth; remove aphid colonies on growing plants with soapy water.
How do I get rid of deer on common garden tulip?
Flowers and upper foliage browsed off, often leaving bare stems; entire shoots pulled from soil in light infestations. Deer repellent sprays on foliage; physical fencing; inter-plant with deer-resistant species such as alliums.