The minor bulbs you mentioned should come up right through the 1/2" mesh if you left it in place but it would be in the way if you plan on planting annuals or anything else in that spot.

Don't know if squirrels would be interested in bulbs at this point since ground isn't freshly dug. Can't predict their behavior anytime but that's one thought.

I've had to raise the mesh over my tulips & daffs because the foliage was just too big to get through. Started spraying foliage with repellant because it's already had some early growth eaten but that wasn't little squirrels.

I think wire mesh is mostly to keep them from digging up newly planted bulbs...from what I've read here on forum.

That said, last month I did have a squirrel dig up a hyacinth bulb from a container on the deck and sit there munching on it. I could see him through the sliding glass door and tried to shoo him away. He went and took his bulb prize with him...LOL.

All the areas covered now with mesh are in the fronts of the beds and will be planted later with annuals. In the spring itÂs usually rabbits I have to worry about and obviously the mesh canÂt help me with that. It was mostly crocus and chionodoxa planted under the mesh. Some oreophilum alliums but no one eats those. SomethingÂs popping up but itÂs not crocus. The mesh was an experiment: I have never been able to grow crocus, even using repellents.

I was not sure if squirrels still did any digging in the spring. I saw a few chipmunks last year too, never had those before in this part of suburbia. I donÂt know what they do or eat like I know (all too well) with squirrels and rabbits.

I planted a lot of hyacinths, the large cultivars, last year. I did not use mesh for those. (I did not think squirrels liked thoseÂ?) I found 3 bulbs yesterday laying on top of the ground, all soft and shriveled. IÂm not sure if I can blame the squirrels or if it was just me. I had laid them out on the bed arranging color patterns, maybe I did not plant that cluster but thought I had. I did a lot of planting at dusk last fall. Darn.

I use the 1 inch mesh, and I don't remove it after it's put down. Pretty much anything will grow up thru it, but it's you're using 1/2", then remove it when you see fit; i.e. when you first see growth.