=( garden rose bud eaters

[Biciclista]

we need to know where you live. different locales have different pests.
Alaska has moose
Florida has alligators.
etc
city/country

[Trekhawk]

Here in Aust parrots like to eat them. I love birds but I do shoo them when I see them starting to munch down on my rose buds.

[bacarver]

Is the new Lab puppy the culprit? I had a flat-coated retriever years ago that had a thing for tulips. One summer before she was a year old, she bit off every last one of our numerous tulips. She had the same technique with each one. She would approach, turn her head, sink her teeth into the stem just below the flower, rip the flower off, drop it, and go to the next. She only did this one year and never again after that. What was this dog thinking?! We scrambled to save a few to put in a vase because we knew they would be on the ground the next day.

I have a dog now (golden) that collects turtles. She brings them to us and drops them at our feet. She's not too good at dropping them right side up, but at least she delivers them to us so we can flip them over.

Do your best to save the rose bush. If you can get it through this year, then maybe it will survive.

Good luck.

Barb

[Miranda]

Thx for the response thus far! Locale... midwest. So, no gaitors like FL. And my fence is only 4' high. Hmm. OH... my bird feeders are right there as well.

I asked about the coon cuz there is a large one that loves to eat some of my paste type bird food. Caught him mid night. He's a fatty... enjoying my nice expensive bird food.

Yea.... the doggie did bring the rose bush branch by branch and lay it on the porch stoop during the winter. Like a prize she had found for me.

My only other thought is to put one of those hideous looking wire cage fences up just around the bush. Like a big size you see around tomatoe plants sometimes. I don't know what they make. But, going to feed & garden store this w/e to check it out.

Maybe the extra fence would at least ward off the dog. She will be a year old this month. The breeder told me technically, labs are puppies (& mentality that goes with it) for 2years. Maybe she will be over it by next summer. And btw... any time I see the pup near the bush giving it a sniff I do give the sharp "NO!" command--best I can think of.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thx for the response thus far! Locale... midwest. So, no gaitors like FL. And my fence is only 4' high. Hmm. OH... my bird feeders are right there as well.

A 4 foot fence will do nothing to keep deer out. Deer love to eat the buds off my tulips.

[Selkie]

You have a retriever and a lovely one at that. She thinks she's doing her job. Get her a bunch of balls and leave them in the yard for her to bring to you. My first golden (rest her sweet soul) destroyed a beautiful big hydrangea during her puppy years.

Can't help you with the rose problem. They are hard keepers and are way beyond my gardening skills. I have heard that there are some plants that discourage deer, so planting something like that near the rose might help. That was a lovely tribute to your sweet angel dog....fingers crossed that you can save the rose.

[andtckrtoo]

Jimmy, my Aussie, had a thing for plant life and especially flowers, as a puppy. He'd nip a flower and run around the yard with it in his mouth like some kind of goofy Casanova. Fortunately, he did out grow it. But, if your buds all disappeared over night, I'll bet a deer or two were the culprits.