if it's any consolation, i planted 20,000 each snowdrops, crocus thommasinianus and winter acconite and the squirrels dug up most of them

I am planting short stemmed bulbs in planters in the
greenhouse to enjoy a little earlier in the spring.
Might suit other members who have unwanted visitors.

Chicken mesh over the top of the bulbs will deter the squirrels.

I borrowed a trap, caught 10 of the blighters and released them to a wooded area. Never seen one in my garden since.

We get squirrels in our garden every day, usually burying walnuts or hard, small apples in the lawn, then digging them up again the next day. They no longer dig up my pots though as I cover the compost with stones.

The chicken wire idea is the same as putting brambles on
the garden to deter cats from digging. When the crop is
grown, we have to untangle the plants from the chicken
wire/brambles. Not a happy job.
I had put my hoops and fruit netting away for the winter.
Had to get them out again, set them up on my raised
beds. The stapler came in very handy, to put a couple of
staples along each side to hold the netting tight.
Every home should have one !

Diane, bulbs can easily grow up through chicken wire with getting tangled at all.

Mine are in safety, in the greenhouse.