la-vie-en-rose Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 We have a small terrace right outside our door.Some time during last night something :nibbled the young shoots off some climbing roses - around 150 cms of the ground - and left the shoots on the ground untouched below the rosescut through the plastic string attaching the fat ball to the tree at about 2 metres and made off with the fat ball - it's disappearedmanaged to "unscrew" the saucer from another birdfeeder - the screw has disappeared!started on the clematis shoots.Any-one got any ideas what this is, and what I can do? I don't want to put poison down but I may have to use a trap, I guess. It must be quite small to be able to balance on those young rose shoots.Hope some-one can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I'd say it was a neighbour who is jealous of your roses and dosnt want you to feed the birds ..... ( wink smiley) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 From the symptoms you described its almost certainly a small man with a pet rabbit on a leash and an aviary at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 For the rosebuds - it could be deer. Adult deer are quite tall, and we lost all our early rosebuds to deer last year.They also damaged 2 new vines we had just planted.We try to persuade our collie to sleep outside and guard the garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 Thanks for all the suggestions!We have no neighbours, so that one is not too likely...but we liked the idea!as for the (Easter) rabbit, could be!We have lost many roses to deer in the past, but they eat the shoots rather than just cutting them off and leaving them on the ground, so I don't think that's too likely either.Incidentally our collie loves being outside at night, but doesn't seem to scare off the mystery guest.So, I'm still left wondering and hoping for help - could it be rats, as we have seen them fairly close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Rats aren't fussy, they will have eaten other things too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Its pandas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Squiggles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 [quote user="woolybanana"]Its pandas![/quote]Because they eat shoots and leaves? Or is that eat, shoot and leave (but then there would be bullet holes, n'est-ce pas?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 We all know Pands's fire blanks ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 My first reaction was " deer", but as you say it is unlikely, well, .... drink lots of coffee, and stay awake one night, and try and surprise the mystery guest ! [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la-vie-en-rose Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 We think we may know, now, as we stayed up and watched countless rats rushing about - they are very smart and look as if they should wear waistcoats and grey flannel trousers - but we don't want quite so many quite so near the house, so drastic measures have to be taken.They reach sexual maturity at 3 months (only slightly less than humans, therefore!) and gestation is 24 days, I think. That's a lot of rats even with a 50:50 ratio of males to females, in one year...I worked out that with a litter of 10 we are looking at a minimum of 500 rats starting from one pair...So now we are looking for any-one with a terrier they don't want! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Or Pied Piper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Air rifle with tele sights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Then you could shoot them and watch Eastenderz at the same time on the tele bit!Failing that, good old rat poison! And zap the barstuards![6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I had a similar thing happening in my garden near the end of last year, took me ages and a lot of cunning to finally snap the cunning critter who visited my garden during the night leaving strange scratch markings in the grass. I'll see if I can find the photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Found the photograph.[IMG]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/weedonwite/161110039.jpg[/IMG]I've put a stop to his antics though, I've taken away his rake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 [:D][:D] Cute !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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