Question
Hi, are there any pests that would dig-up and remove tulip bulbs this time of year in the Scarsdale, NY (Westchester County) area? There is a slight tulip caper at hand that got reported to the police. I'm thinking it might not be by someone but by some animal. Like maybe a raccoon, they look like bandits. It happened at a home under major renovations. I'm a tree man doing plantings of a 100 small trees and shrubs there. Other construction workers reported to the owner that upon arriving in the morning the soil looked freshly dug and tulips missing. I will try to get shown the spot and inspect carefully as I have not done so far. The home is not occupied or has any finished gardens so it's hard to be familiar with pests at this location. Should I ask the same question to my local cooperative extension? You can always email me at [email protected]. I'm not sure how this system works. Thanks, Tim

Answer
It is certainly possible for an animal to do it. I would think squirrel or other rodent. Raccoons wouldn't be high on my suspect list. I would visit the area and see if humans could be involved. The fact that the site isn't occupied makes me suspicious.
Photos of the damage would also help. you can e-mail them to [email protected]

You can also visit http://icwdm.org  for information on other principles of wildlife damage inspection.