Squirrels are very fond of new lily shoots. They will leave a mature plant alone, but until they're a good 10-12" high, squirrels are a threat.

The alliums have me baffled too.

What was eaten, the bulb or the shoot? I had voles decimate my lily bulbs but I don't know what eats allium.

I don't think anything eats allium...
Linda C

Anybody consider ants. I have alliums and tulips bulbs that made a horrible attempt at growing, and ended up not blooming. I also have an ant infestation I am trying to rid my yard of.

I had the tops of my lilies eaten off early in the season, & blamed rabbits. But whatever it was at a lot of onion/allium stalks too. But this was the new green growth. Of course, lilies won't bloom now, but I will watch earlier in the season next year.

The Allium bulbs are definately GONE and small holes are leading to them...... There was one left. I just replanted the area with glads- maybe whatever it was is no longer hungry..... My cat loves to catch voles so maybe it is gone- of course I don't really know if he kills them just plays with them- he takes them into my raised bed and pretends it is a colesium and lets them loose and then catches them over and over again. I have tried to tell him just to get it over with and don't torture the poor creatures but he doesn't seem to listen!

Try cayenne pepper? Most things that eat bulbs don't like it when the bulb is planted with something spicy. No matter what is eating it cayenne pepper is a good bet. Or a bulb cage. You can twizzle one together with chicken wire and zip ties or twist ties. Or google it and buy one. Especially good for precious or expensive bulbs.

Voles and mice will eat the bulbs of lilies and alliums. And pretty much any other bulbs except narcissus, muscari and fritillaria. The cayenne pepper or capsicum is a good bet for protecting top growth but a bulb cage or similar deterrent will be most efficient at keeping these rodents away from the bulbs themselves.