Could be something bigger than a chipmunk, like a squirrel. Could be birds. Have you tried something smellier as bait, like peanut butter? That will attract almost anything.

I agree, aniajs, it could have been a squirrel--except that I'm sure that none of the squirrels around here (Michigan) would have left those sunflower seeds. I've never known any birds around here to pull up plants and just leave them. It's odd that anyone of any sort would uproot so many plants without eating them. I'll add some peanut butter, but I'm sure that if it's a small mammal, it would have gone for the seeds...

I had jays decimate my onion patch one year, not eating them, but getting at the seeds and peanuts they'd stashed in my nice, soft garden soil and handy straw mulch. I now make it a point, when I clean up the beds and pull back the straw, to carefully pile upon the other side of the yard all the buried treasure I find.

I find that peanut butter makes for a faster acting bait, but keep in mind that if it's something bigger than your trap can hold, it won't matter much.

Voles maybe or gophers if you have them. I've had the ground hog will also pull them up. I swear he bites into the top and yanks it out of the soil and then spits it out once he decides he doesn't like the taste. Had to make a chicken wire low tunnel over the row of them to stop it.

Dave

My guess would be birds. Robin's, blackbirds and Jay's all will pull onoins and just drop when they realize it isn't a worm. Usually you just need to replant a few dozen plants.

I have noticed a few crows hanging around lately. Maybe if I keep replanting, I can wait them out. I can be pretty stubborn too...

Stick those onions back in the ground! Try some staked bird netting?

My guess is you have planted in the voles/moles tunnel. Is the ground soft there?

Thank you all for the helpful ideas.

I haven't seen any sign of voles/moles/etc. lately, but will take another look.

My garden is surrounded by hardware cloth fence, so I don't think a woodchuck or anything like that got in.

I have replanted everything. Will keep you posted...

The reason I said that is moles/voles are known to remove mothballs from their tunnels. Also I have seen birds pull up corn to get at the seed.

Do let us know if/when you find out what it is.

If you exclude the birds which isn't too difficult that should help narrow it down. Good luck and keep us updated!

After a day of rest, my mischief-maker is back at it. About 25 onions pulled up when I looked this morning. Before fooling w/ bird netting (which I don't like because I've had birds get trapped in it), I put up my owl statue and my scary-eye balloon. Also reset my chipmunk traps. We'll see...

<Also reset my chipmunk traps.> Meaning? They were set off?

Ah, birds. Mine "weed my garden for me, as in pull everything up for no discernible reason.

Gumby--I rebaited them w/ plenty of sunflower sees and peanut butter. I think a mouse may have snuck in and taken some of it...

Marianne--Do you know what kind of bird weeds your garden for you?

I know a baby mouse can often get bait with out setting off the trap. Glue traps can help for those. Were these traps tripped or just the bait removed?

Not tripped. That's why I thought, 'mouse!"

I'm too soft-hearted to use glue traps, but I did set a couple snap traps (instant death).

Understood, I am the same way but sometimes it's all you got.

I put my snap traps inside a jar with a hole drilled in the cover. 1" is big enuff for a mouse but not allow a cat or other animal to get caught in the peanut butter.

Find a jar large enuff for the trap to trip unimpeded. I prefer a clear glass jar for the weight as it won't blow in the wind. Clear so you can easily see IF it's been tripped. Or just put it under a bucket, pot, or something.

If you dislike bird netting, what about floating row cover? It would probably overheat the onions at some point in the summer, but it might be harmless now. (And there is some sort of summerweight insect fabric that I keep eyeing for cover without the annoyance of bird netting or the heat of row cover. I don't remember why I haven't bought it--maybe it was horribly expensive, maybe it was hard to find.

A motion activated game camera would help you identify the culprit. If you have any friends who are hunters, you might check and see if anybody has one they could loan you for a couple of days.

Good idea, Turnage. I even have one. We'll see if the culprit is big enough to activate it...

Thnx for the idea of floating row cover, Wilson. I'll keep that one in reserve.

Great idea on the mouse trap jars, Gumby. I've occasionally caught chickadees in my snap traps. Those little guys are really curious and good at finding food--even if it's on a mousetrap.

To protect sensitive plantings from chickens, dogs, rabbits and deer, I use these critter cages made from wire fencing, with the ends secured with zip ties. I keep my onions covered until they are well established, keep carrots covered until they are ready to pull.

Your cages sound pretty nice, Bcomplx! (id you mean to include a picture? I don't see one.) My garden is way too big to make those for everything, but I have a good hardware cloth/electric fence that keeps out all those things--but not birds...

For those who might still be interested in this mystery--I was gazing idly at the garden yesterday when I noticed a robin hopping around, gathering materials for her nest under the eve of the carport. If you've ever noticed, birds will often pick up a twig or piece of plant material, and then apparently decide they don't like the feel of that one, and toss it aside in favor of something else. My theory is that that is who pulled my onions; then, getting a good chance to smell them, tossed them away. So I have been replanting each day. Now, Mrs. Robin's nest seems to be complete, and the onion pulling has slowed way down. Hopefully that will be the end of it...