Question
I've been growing roses for years, but today is the first time that I've seen a couple buds completely missing--like something ate them right off.  There are 3 other buds on the same bush that were not touched, and all the leaves are still there.  There is a bud on another bush that's ready to open, and it was not touched.  I live near Pittsburgh, PA.  We do have occasional squirrels and chipmonks, but I've never seen them near my rose bushes.  Any ideas?

Answer
Squirrels are VERY FOND of rose buds and can be a real pest with nipping them off. Rabbits also share your love of roses but they can only reach the buds farther down the bush. Sometimes just spraying Windex with ammonia all around the base of the bush will keep them away.