We Finally Figured It Out
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29823)
Momence, Illinois
April 22, 2017 9:59am CST
For the past couple of years we have had some critter clipping off the tops of our tulips. We couldn't figure out what was doing this. The critter would clip off the top of the tulip and we would find the flower laying next to the plant. We thought maybe it was birds, perhaps wanting the tulip for it's nest but it was always laying in the dirt next to the plant. We tried to watch but never actually saw what was happening. Every morning we would go out and find one or two tulips snipped off clean like a scissor was used. Very strange indeed.
Well we finally figured it out. We live in a very very old house, it was built in 1900. The foundation is about 4 feet thick made of limestone ( I think) rocks filled in with mortar or whatever that stuff is called. Well as you can imagine the mortar is starting to fall out and we have to replace it. My husband is slowly getting that done, it's a big job.
So one morning we went out with our coffee to walk around the house to look at the flowers. This was last spring. And of course there was a tulip clipped off and dragged half way into a crevice in the foundation created by the mortar drying up and falling out or whatever it does. It might not be drying that could be the wrong phrase but heck I'm not sure. It was a darn mouse that has been doing this. So hubby got the mortar out and filled the crevice, he figures that crevice went back a couple of feet and used a whole bucket to fill it.
I think that did the trick at least for the tulips. So far this spring all our tulips are intact and we also didn't have a mouse in our house this winter for the first time since we bought this house. He still has more foundation work to do but we are very happy that the tulips are being left alone.
So now I must apologize to the birds as we have been blaming them for years. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it was a mouse doing all the damage to my beautiful tulips.
22 people like this
26 responses
@paigea (35635)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
You solved your mystery. We think it is the deer that eat our tulips. It seems to me we don't find the flower near by, It is clipped off and gone. Last year our tulips didn't get eaten for once. This year we will likely be gone at the wrong time and will miss our tulips.
4 people like this
@paigea (35635)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 I was surprise mice did that too. Especially since they don't seem to want the flower.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
@paigea Yea when we figured it out we were floored, we never thought mice.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
I live in town so we don't get the deer, but who would have thought it was mice. So this spring and summer hubby has to get the foundation done. He loves his tulips and wants them left alone. They have bloomed early this spring. I hope you get to see yours.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
I don't think so, we think maybe they just want some color in their nests but again I'm just guessing.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69416)
• Germany
22 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 Were the mice interested in the bulbs? I think they may be seen as food in mouse country.
I had a red ribbon hanging on our balcony. It was untied (!) from a pole and carried away by a crow as decoration for its nest. I read on the web that this happens often.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
@MALUSE No they haven't dug up the bulbs but we have caught the squirrels digging the bulbs up.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
Yes I know caterpillars and other insects can do this but we are pretty sure it was the mice. Yes we found it quite interesting and very glad the tulips are being left alone, at least so far.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79589)
• United States
24 Apr 17
Hope that little mouse learned his lesson and leaves the tulips alone.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (79589)
• United States
25 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 I love tulips and I'm happy that you will be enjoying them this season 
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
25 Apr 17
So far so good I probably have 30 or more tulips blooming now and so far nothing has messed with them for the first time in years.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205242)
• Walnut Creek, California
23 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 Squirrels are evil. I think house cats have enlisted them as allies to take over the world.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
@TheHorse Oh don't say that lol. I have enough squirrels around here.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
Seems we are well on the way to fixing the problem with the mice. Now if we could get the squirrels to stop digging up our flower bulbs all would be right with the world.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29234)
• Eugene, Oregon
22 Apr 17
That is surprising to me too. It was an enterprising little rodent.
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
Yes it sure was, and while we never saw it happen just the fact that for the first time the flower was dragged half way into the foundation makes us think it was the mice all along.Hopefully once my husband finishes the foundation we won't have that problem any more. So far so good this spring with the tulips
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85288)
• United States
22 Apr 17
That's so weird. I love tulips; what color do you grow?
My dad's wife grows vegetables and flowers in their backyard, they have had the worst time getting a couple of their vegetables to the table because before they are ready to be picked a raven(s) will sit on the things, and eat half of it before flying away. They find it very funny.
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (85288)
• United States
25 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 I want to say corn, but that could be wrong. You know, next time I see my dad's wife I'll ask her.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
What was the raven eating, I know birds eat berries but never heard of them eating vegetables. We have two shades of red, pink, dark purple, yellow and orange tulips. My hubby is dutch lol.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
25 Apr 17
@AmbiePam Sounds like one unusual raven,I will be interested to know what veggie it was eating.
1 person likes this
@Nawsheen (28644)
• Mauritius
24 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 Now you have nothing to worry about. You will be able to grow some nice tulips
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
We were sure surprised. We never in a million years would have guessed a mouse was doing this to our tulips.
2 people like this
@allknowing (130067)
• India
23 Apr 17
Wonder why the mouse left the flower behind. Normally they do that to build their nest or whatever it is called.
2 people like this
@allknowing (130067)
• India
23 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 But that was a daily affair and you found the tulips lying there.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
@allknowing Yes and most times we found the tulip laying there, I still think it was too big to get into their nesting area, what other explanation could there be? Just to clip if off and leave it. I am dumbfounded I just don't know,.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
either we came outside while he was trying to get it inside or it was to big to get inside, it's the only thing I can figure.
2 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
23 Apr 17
Oh wow, well I'm glad this year the mouse seems to have found somewhere else to go and play with flowers. Lol
2 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
24 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 I don't blame you at all. I wouldn't like that either.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
I hope he found somewhere else to live. Can't stand them in my house and hate they were messing with my tulips.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
24 Apr 17
Mice can do a lot of damage but I never would have thought that they were the culprits either.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
24 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 you were nicer than me, I would have killed him without hesitation.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
25 Apr 17
@BelleStarr If he comes in the house he's a goner.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
Nasty little critters, I would have left it alone but he wanted my tulips, so he was evicted.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (48256)
• Canada
23 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 Ours never left any evidence that they resided in our yard, except that we'd see them. They came from a neighbour, he had them living in his home! They would get into his pots of plants and dig and throw all of the dirt out.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
My father in law had problems with moles they just tore up his lawn. Yea I'm glad they are leaving the tulips alone this year.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
@Juliaacv You are lucky because they can ruin a lawn.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 17
There is only one kind of bird that nests on the ground and they don't eat tulip tops LOL Birds won't next that close to the ground.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
22 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 The mice we had (notice the 'had') ate plastic, they ate my husband's brand new hammock and they ate a big hole in the American Flag. They never ate plants. Not sure if mice to that or not ours like material not green stuff !
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
We thought maybe they wanted them for their nests but they were always laying on the ground. So that didn't make sense, but we didn't know what other critter would do that. But we never thought it was mice.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
@AbbyGreenhill I'm not even sure it was eating the plants or just trying to use it for a nest. It surprised us when we finally figured it out.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
22 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 But a beautiful spring! A repairman stopped by yesterday and complimented us on our grounds.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
@DianneN Yes it has been a beautiful spring, I have so many flowers blooming right now in our garden. Bleeding Hearts, Primrose, Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Creeping Phlox, and Glory of the Snow. Amazing colors.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Apr 17
I was pretty shocked, and yea we have squirrels digging up our bulbs as well. The flowers here are going crazy blooming, another strange spring
2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
23 Apr 17
Mice can sure be annoying critters! I think I'd better take a look at my own foundation.. not for the sake of any tulips, but just to keep them out of my house! 4 cats still can't keep up with the mice we get in the winter!
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
We always had a mouse or two every winter, but this winter nothing, which made me very very happy.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
25 Apr 17
Maybe it wanted something pretty in it's nest, that's my best guess.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Apr 17
We have never seen deer in our town but I know they are in the surrounding area, but a mouse now that surprised me.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
Very happy tulips, they are all ok so far.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
23 Apr 17
oh, my. it was a mouse. it is my first time to learn that a moiuse can destroy a flower, or a tulip in particular. how then, did you get rid of the mouse?
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
We closed up the area in the foundation where he was living. Haven't had a problem since. Yea we were surprised when we finally figured it out.
2 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
24 Apr 17
Wonder why the mouse went in for the flowers?
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
24 Apr 17
I wish I knew but I haven't a clue
2 people like this
