Woman vs. Rodent, Round 2
Let battle commence.
The new Iris reticulata have finished now, no flowers left for the pheasant to peck off. So I wanted to get them into the ground. And as the first bulbs I have planted in a good long while they are also the proof of concept for my bulb cage theory.
It is not straightforward. The first decision is the gauge of the mesh. If the holes are too wide a mouse will get through, too narrow and fleshy roots could be overly restricted. And how big should the cage be? Too small and there would be insufficient room for the bulbs to spread, too large and the mice will just burrow in from above.
![Bulb cage 002 Wm[1]](https://www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Bulb-cage-002-Wm1.jpg)
As a precaution I’ve topped out the basket with stones, apparently they don’t like to dig through those.
What do you reckon. Might it work?
The first cage took Mike about 45 minutes to make. Friday night is gin and tonic night. Would it be the right moment to mention to him that I bought 80 Agapanthus bulbs last weekend?
I hope they work for you. Hopefully you’ll have judged those sizings just right. 80 is a lot no matter how fast you make them – break it to him gently 😉
I shall plant them in groups, a few in each cage.. make it easier for him 🙂
Good lord, better make it a double!
At least!
I think Mike’s got his work cut out. I hope it’s worth all the effort and your bulbs remain safe from sharp little teeth.
I won’t give up without a fight. Someone with a metal detector will have fun in our garden in a few years time..
good luck Jessica, a mulch of stones sounds like a good idea, not just for the mice protection but also so they are well marked and not get inadvertently dug up later, 80 agapanthus, wow, they will make an amazing display when they are established, Frances
Thanks Frances. They are miniature agapanthus, 10″ tall only.. but a drift of them should still provide a nice patch of colour.
Definitely confess about the 80 bulbs after a gin and tonic or two! Hope the cage works and your plants are safe from those sharp little teeth:)
I did have a look to see if you can buy the cages anywhere, found some but not meant for mice so the holes are much bigger. No easy way out there!
Its a little hard to tell the size of the holes from the pic, but I suspect the smaller of you rodent chums may squeeze through. A tough one, given the need for the roots to expand out. I should get Mike to make the rest AFTER drinking the G&Ts then he won’t notice how many he’s doing…. 🙂
A baby mouse could probably get through. Hopefully the babies won’t yet have learnt how tasty bulbs are.. ?
Say they were a present……this post has made me wonder if rodents might be responsible for the fact that none of my bulbs have ever come up! X
Quite possible… have a quick delve where you planted them. You may find just a big empty space 🙁
But if you have mice or voles there are usually entry/exit holes dotted all over the flower bed.
Hahaha!
Thanks for the Friday morning giggle!
I have written Mike seperately….to advise of the impending feat!
Perhaps you will need to “slip” something into his “G&T”……
All those Agapanthus will be a show stopper…we demand to see photos…right girls?
Enjoy your weekend Jessica….my condolences to Mike…..
Cheers!
Linda :o)
I think Mike got your note… he’s gone out. G&T delayed..
Great idea to put the bulbs in cages – makes it easier to lift and divide them too when you need to (might pinch the idea!) The holes in the mesh look quite large in the picture, could you line with chicken wire to be on the safe side? I would keep quiet about the Agapanthus bulbs unless you are expecting Mike to plant them!!!
The holes are much smaller than normal chicken wire. That they can get through. They’re not much more than 1 cm wide, so hopefully it will be OK. Hopefully..
Hope it works for you and your lovely little iris! I haven’t had any problems of nibbling with my Agapanthus which have been in for years now and we have plenty of little nibblers!
From reading up on the subject it seems that planting time, or shortly after, is when nibbling is most likely. Like carrots, bulbs leave a tell tale aroma on the surface which the pesky blighters pick up. Soil disturbance also makes it easier for the mice to tunnel around and find bulbs and roots.
Now that you’ve made one, the rest will go quickly. Besides your not putting one bulb per cage are you?
The cages should work. Although these rodents are quite resilient. My fingers are crossed for you.
What it you under plant with miniature narcissus? They are poisonous to vermin.
Love those iris, I have two varieties here, or I did. We shall have to wait an see. Still snow on the ground. Ugh!
They are tiny bulbs, I could probably put 10 or even 20 in one cage if we make it big enough.
That explains why the daffodils don’t get nibbled. The dreadful Spanish bluebells seem to escape too. If only I could persuade the mice to develop a taste for those!
A bottle of gin at least! Mice get through tiny, tiny holes … just saying.
They might get in, but after a meal will they then be able to get out..
May be several gin and tonics Jessica before you confess to Mike how much you actually spent on those 80 Agapanthus bulbs!!!
They are tiny ones, not the full blown lovelies. £2.99 for 80! They are described as miniature agapanthus, at that price probably something else entirely. But I thought at 10″ high they’d be nice in the top terrace bed.
Gosh what a bargin – I imagined that you had spend three figures.
My days of expensive plants are over.. either it will rot in the soggy soil or something will eat it!
Jessica ….. you are the most committed gardener that I know !! You deserve the most beautiful garden for all that you give to it { and, you have } I’m sure that it will work and, if by any chance it doesn’t, you and Mike will find a way. If only I had half as much dedication as you.
Happy weekend. XXXX
Should be committed might be more accurate. But we are where we are so we shall soldier on..
Thanks Jackie and you have a lovely weekend too.
genuflects with deep admiration
I wish you luck, seriously. I wish Mike luck too …
We also have a mouse problem but I’m afraid I’m not nearly as dedicated as you. If they eat something I just won’t plant it again and try next time with something hopefully less attractive to rodents.
They have eaten every bulb I have ever planted. Except daffodils. 20 alliums, the big globe ones, gone. Crocuses, tulips, lilies, fritillaries (AFTER the pheasants took off all the flowers..). I would have a bulb less garden.
I think I would wait about 3 hours into Gin and Tonic night before you mention the 80 bulbs 😉
Good plan..
You really really really need to get a cat. I appreciate your revulsion at the thought of it eating mice, but it’s only nature after all?
I agree with the above 3 hours worth of G & T might be about right, mention they were in units of 160, but you managed to find another person who also wanted some so there’s only 80 each.
When I was outside this afternoon I heard two owls, male and a female, calling to each other across the wood. A match made in heaven I hope.
Lots of little (hungry) owlets flitting about the garden maybe?
= Mice get eaten WITHOUT being deposited on the kitchen floor 🙂
Good to hear you’ve got breeding owls, I can’t remember the last time I saw one here, I hope they thrive and develope a taste for mice.
And I admire your determination to stick to your principles.
Tawny owls. They’ve been here a while. The first year I heard only females, last year only males. This year they may have cracked it!
I hope you have plenty of Gin, 80 bulbs! I have some Agapanthus seed from a seed swap, a far more leisurely pursuit!
As it happens yes, it was £5 off last week… !
Good luck with your seeds, might try that.
I second the ‘Make it ( at least) a double G and at’ suggestion, before mentioning the Agapanthus! 80 bulbs are going to make a fantastic show. X
If the little (cheap) ones I bought escape unscathed I will risk getting some of the full size bulbs. They are gorgeous, blue and white varieties.
Sigh…..
What about a mouse feeding station (supplied by you) situated nearby? Or are expensive bulbs their preferred cuisine?
A cat would be the right way to go for anyone but you unlucky pair – something tells me it would either be bone idle or anti-blood sports!
We tried live catch traps, baited with peanut butter on bread which they love apparently. But they learnt how to escape… went in, grabbed sandwich, exited and went on to the bulbs for dessert.
I am confused. Do the cages sit above the ground? My agapanthus are in a pot and I was going to plant them into the garden this year.
I’ve buried the cages. The mice tunnel underground and eat anything tasty they come across. The wire mesh is supposed to stop them getting to the bulb. There’s still a problem at the top surface, but if I put mesh across that too it might restrict plant growth. Hopefully the stone mulch will put the mice off. Time will tell..
80 Agapanthus? Goodness you don’t do things by halves do you? Are they all different varieties?
Woman versus rodent? Well you have the brain, the rodents have the sharp teeth. One would like to think one could outwit a mouse, but as I have so far failed to outwit a squirrel, I’ m not sure.
Dwarf agapanthus, one large drift. Or perhaps two or three smaller ones.
Don’t get me started on squirrels..
Ha Ha!! Only after the 3rd G & T!!!!
It’s a tricky call, too many G&Ts and he will be asleep..
Lots of advice on G&T quantity and timing already – we expect a full and sober report of proceedings! I look forward to seeing your agapanthus flowering – hope you are not waiting too long……
I am sceptical that planting bulbs now will result in summer flowering, could be next year. If they last that long..
You could try throwing the agapanthus bulbs at the mice first, so they associate them with a sharp pain in the noddle. And then, when you have reached the point where the mice are quivering with fear at the sight of a bulb, you can plant them as per. (The bulbs, not the mice. Don’t plant mice. Never works.) But I wouldn’t advise tanking up on G and T’s before target practice. I feel it may affect your hand eye co-ordination. Just a thought!
I could think of a lot of things I would like to throw at the mice. Most of them are impossible to obtain through normal legal channels.
lol give him steak and chips for dinner beer and then tell him
He would smell a
mouserat.The gin can only make things seem better to Mike!! I hope that it works. xx
It will work. Otherwise all the mice will be signed up for CBT to get them hating bulbs and loving ground elder.
It simply has to work after all that effort. Fancy mice digging like that, thankfully they leave my bulbs along.
Hahahahaha, I hope the gin is going down well and that Mike hasn’t gagged on his when he learnt of your purchase!!!xxx
He has gone out and not come back yet.. perhaps he read the post?! 🙁
It sounds as though you need to be very generous with those G & T’s! I hope you manage to protect your bulbs from the mice. I’m convinced they’ve munched many of mine. And if it’s not the mice, it’s rabbits eating the flowers. Sometimes I feel I’m planting a banquet for them both!
It’s very hard to be a nature lover and a gardener. I remember when we came here I declared it would be a wildlife sanctuary..
I hope it works. Luckily we don’t have to go to those lengths.
Unfortunately they go for the veggies too. I can’t do any direct sowing. Peas and beans disappear before they germinate. Everything has to be grown in the greenhouse (on high shelves) and then transplanted out.
You’re too kind to those mice, given the degree to which they relish a challenge … I can see them now, spitting on their paws before getting stuck in.
DangerMouse lives on.
That garden wall is absolutely beautiful
It shows how damp it is in this neck of the woods.
Laughing out loud here at that last remark. Make sure he has quite a few of those gin and tonics BEFORE you mention how many more there are. I do hope the cage works and look forward to hearing more of the saga, Jessica. Hugs, Natale 🙂
I shall be inspecting the installation each day for signs of mouse damage. So far, so good..
Ahhh…I hope he took it well…the cage looks great, hope it works well.
In my garden it is the squirrels that eat my bulbs. I planted 50 gladioli corms the other day, but I put them in very tall, narrow pots with 8” compost on top of the corms – hoping it would be too much of an effort for the squirrels to dig that deep. They had a good go, there were compost everywhere, but they didn’t reach all the way down to the corms.
Squirrels 0 points, me 1 point!
Well done!
The squirrels here have developed a new annoying habit, I saw one rolling around in a pot with David Austin ‘Evelyn’ in it. Don’t they know how much these things cost? It has disturbed a lot of the compost too. The squirrels scratch a lot, perhaps it was trying to remove fleas.
I’m rooting for you—-and Mike, after he’s downed the bottle of gin when you break the news.
I don’t know if you have Hot Cross Buns in America, but I have bought him one to have with his morning coffee today. It will keep his energy level up if nothing else..
Three cats, a bottle of Bombay and some owls?
.. Went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat?
I have high hopes for the owls.
I do hope you hear some tiny twit twoos soon Jessica. I can’t help but think your not devious enough 😉
If it were me, I’d make a start, then feel sorry for myself, followed by stating that I can’t get them done fast enough.
Can’t help but wonder though, wouldn’t pond baskets work?
Time consuming jobs have much the same effect on me… as today, looking up the Precipitous Bank which is now full of weeds again.
They would have to be metal pond baskets, if there is such a thing, mice can easily chew through plastic.
I shall be watching this series with bated breath Jessica to see who wins the war. My money is on you though and once you have got the upper hand I would like to see what tactics you might have up your sleeve to use against my arch enemy – the squirrel!
Never fear Anna, I am working on a video. Except there is never a squirrel around when you want one..
In the meantime have a look at this (click here), it’s a post from last year.
Love your twirling squirrel photos – I did have a laugh. Good luck with your cages. Annette
The squirrels are a real pain, but they love a good game.. thanks Annette.
Wow, what a creative idea! Should keep the little critters wondering 🙂
Hi Paula, thanks and welcome to rusty duck.
I hope it works, mice are so sneaky though. If there is a way around they will find it!
You still seem to be under the impression that you might win LOL!!!!!
I refuse to be beaten by something with a brain the size of a pea.
It’s a great idea and hopefully it works! I’m sure you’ll keep us updated 🙂 just tell the OH that practice makes perfect and he’ll get quicker in making them the more bulbs you buy.
You’re also giving us ideas on possible challenges we may encounter when we eventually move to the countryside….
Living in a rural environment makes you immediately aware of your place in the scheme of things. Everything else that lives here seems so much better adapted and has the upper hand!
Mice can get through quite fine mesh but under ground they can’t where they have to squeeze through so the cage could work. Let us know. Now 80 Agapanthus sounds wonderful, but I haven’t got to make the cages!
That’s interesting to know, thanks Christina. I am feeling more hopeful. If I can dissuade the mice from burrowing in through the top it could well work.
I am sure that you can find some womanly ways to encourage your husband to make sufficient containers for those 80 Agapanthus bulbs! Let me know what they are! Vx
I bought more gin!
I admire your dedication… maybe you should make every night gin and tonic night then you won’t care if the mice have eaten the bulbs! Julie x
His is the grain, mine is the grape. But the same principle applies..
Oh I think the mice might be able to get through ……! They can get to almost anything. Such a pain for you, I have never had that problem as the cats keep the population down, but fully understand why you don’t want to introduce a predator like a cat.
They do seem to be able to get into almost anything, I just hope metal will hold them back. Or at least slow them down..
I should wait till he has had a few 😉
So far, two cages and two G&Ts. I am detecting a pattern..
I think the cages will be highly effective but I’d get some gin in his belly before dropping the bomb that you need more.
Oh I do hope they work. A garden without bulbs would be awful.
Well it certainly looks very ingenious! I’d be tempted to see if the cage works before asking for another (several) to be made – won’t the stones keep the mice at bay? A drift of Agapanthus sounds wonderful; I don’t seem to be bothered by mice but I plant my beans and peas out as plants rather than seeds plus there’s the dreaded foxes and cats always lurking …
We do pay the price for our gardens don’t we. Foxes turn up here in broad daylight.
The mice tunnel underground. I’ve watched the earth move as they travel along.. I’m hoping that the wire will stop their undercover activities and the stones will stop them burrowing in from above.
I’d wait till he has a few g&t’s before mentioning all those bulbs 🙂
Great idea, hope that it works keeping those rodents out.
I shall plant the bulbs in four groups of twenty.. enough to create a good display, but with one big cage per group reduce the metalwork a bit. And the number of G&Ts..
I do hope this works, it’s so annoying when all the hard work is destroyed by these pesky creatures! By the way, thank you for your comment on my post on London… I had to laugh as I remember the street entertainment back then too with the ‘how many pigeons can land on my head routine’. I miss the man with the bags of seed! Can you believe that I didn’t see one this time… they have a couple of hawks that they let out now to see them all off. xx
We’ll probably discover that it’s a health and safety thing.. although the pigeons could be a nuisance too if they thought you had food. Shame, ‘going to see the pigeons’ used to be the highlight of trips to London for me as a kid.
In later years I was more amused by a sign at Waterloo station: “Don’t feed the pigeons, on your head be it!”
Hello Jessica,
Well, Mike can certainly make very beautiful wire cages. Indeed, it seems rather a pity to bury them after all that effort. Such things of beauty surely deserve to be seen?
As for the Agapanthus bulbs. Well, we should venture to suggest that they would thrive in a constricted space rather than the open ground. This was always our experience in our gardening days (now over). Perhaps five containers, traditional terracotta pots are best (they can be painted for a jazzy look) with 16 bulbs crammed into each would save on wire, Mike’s patience and time for drinking Gin and Tonics. Just a thought!
Thank you for your comment on our blog to which we have made reply. Through this we have found you and that is a happiness!
Hi Jane and Lance and welcome to rusty duck.
You have got me thinking about pots. The agapanthus variety is a dwarf one, but I can see a run of smaller terracotta pots down the side of a flight of steps. Chicken wire buried under the soil and a gravel mulch to keep the mice and squirrels off.
I hate it when all your hard work gets ruined over a rodent. I hope you find something that will help.
Hello Lady Lilith and welcome.
They are such a pain. And no shortage of them either, sadly! Thank you.
Friday night must have been the best time to tell Mike about your latest purchase. I hope his G&T was a strong one! Sarah x
It’s always a strong one these days! I want to try a few of the bulbs in the ground (one big cage), and the rest in pots. But there’s still the special snowdrop, and the hellebores.. a man’s work is never done.
Oh heck, poor Mike, I’m not sure there is enough G&T for all those cages… Have you tried aquatic baskets? I know quite a few people who use them for bulbs, its amazing how little space the roots need in order to escape into the soil, and topped with stones they might work? Less playing around with sharp wire with a G&T in one hand…
It would be the perfect solution if they weren’t plastic. The mice have happily chewed through the container we used to use for the bird food.. I’d love it to work. It would be by far the easiest solution. Easy for lifting and dividing too. I should maybe try with a couple.
BALLS!!
Mothballs. Just bury a couple in the soio aound it and the mouse will turn up its dainty nose and go to the neighbours 🙂
That should be ‘soil around it’
I’m as blind as a bat this morning. Sorry.
Hi girlfriday and welcome to rusty duck!
That is a very good idea and one that I will try. Thank you.