Rabbits
Rabbits particularly enjoy feasting on roses.
Baby rabbits enjoy any young tender shoots that are within their reach and will systematically find them all as they sprout in spring. Older rabbits will cause major destruction, especially in winter, by stripping the plants of their bark often standing on their hind legs to reach the higher stems. If you live in an area inhabited by these creatures some measures will need to be taken to protect your roses. A wire mesh fence can be used to keep them out but be sure there are none in the garden when you put this up, otherwise you will compound the problem, rabbits produce offspring like roses produce leaves. The alternative way to protect them is to erect individual fencing around the base of each rose at least while they are young. Although unsightly this will allow the roses a head start against the rabbits. There are chemicals which can be sprinkled on the ground designed to keep rabbits away, but these are never completely successful.
