Dam those rats with furry tails. Squirrels will do that and they eat the buds as well. Your rose should not die and should bounce back.

I have the same problem and I use a product called Rop-el. Spray the rose and they will leave it alone. just remember if it rains you will need to reapply it.

Those darn critters did the same thing to some of my bushes last year. I planted 8 own root roses from Chamblees last weekend. I put a 2' high wire cage around each plant to keep the varmints away. You can also spray with a product called hot pepper wax.

hot pepper wax

I suspect that actually will help, although you'll probably have to be faithful about reapplying it as often as the label recommends. Squirrels can taste capsaicin just like we can, so they will be repelled by the hot pepper sensations. Those who contend with squirrels eating birdseed intended for birds sometimes pre-mix the birdseed with chili powder, because squirrels can taste the heat, but birds can't (thus it gives the squirrels a reason to avoid that bird feeder while the birds don't notice any difference at all).

Oh, assuming you are successful at getting the squirrels to avoid your new climbing rose, I suspect that once you do that this year you'll find that in the future you will have far fewer squirrel problems with this rose, and may very well have no problems whatsoever. I had problems with my Fragrant Cloud and Paul Shirville hybrid teas the very first year I planted them, but after I noticed trouble I sprayed the area with fox urine and after that had no further problems. That was a few years ago and I've had no problems since then.

I guess the squirrels lost interest and look for other sources of food. It may be that once the rose and its thorns ("prickles" is the more proper term) are established the squirrels no longer want to bother with it as a food source as long as there are enough other sources of food around for them.

Horses also love to eat rose bushes as evidenced by some very squatty bushes I have along my fence line! But at least they are (somewhat) easier to keep away than squirrels.......certainly they are easier to catch in the act! I gave up on have Climbing Pinkie as a climber on the fence and will just let them be shrubs!

Something's eating my roses, too. I am lousy with squirrels because of a bumper crop of bur oak acorns last year, but I never suspected them--hmmm. I think it's bunnies, though--my cats just brought me a poor headless baby bunny "gift" the other day. My new "Aloha" came with several beautiful fat buds, and when I checked it this morning, all were gone. Other nearby roses were untouched, however--someone just really likes the taste of Aloha.

We have problems with bunnies---squirrels--deer and groundhogs----

My DH made me several circles of chicken wire----about 2 - 3 ft high depending on the size of the rose----

that is the only thing I have found to keep those little critters away.--the deer are another story----I have a couple of wire circles that are 5 ft high but once the rose gets taller the deer come along and nip off the buds--

It is always heartbreaking to lose all those buds.

Florence

Look at that roose on google: it has thorns even on the buds! crazy, huh?

Botanical name: "Stellata mirifica" (latin for "star-shaped beauty")

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:258409}}

Thank you everyone for your replies. At first I thought it was rabbits because I've never heard of squirrels eating plants before. My husband was the one that suggested it were the squirrels since I had a fence around it that a rabbit couldn't get through but a squirrel could. I looked around online and sure enough it's common for squirrels to eat new rose shoots. I don't know how faithful I would be with spraying a product after every rain. I may have to go with better fencing than what I have now or maybe do the fence and the spray both! I really want this rose bush to work out, plus I have plans to add other types of roses as well to my new garden. Wouldn't you know it, this year I finally have all my birdfeeders squirrel proof and now they go after my flowers!!

I had an old climber which required a lot of work to prepare for winter, and retie to the fence each spring. Then one year it produced only a handful of flower buds, and the squirrel ate them! That was it 'till next year. I took the rose out and replaced with a re-bloomer. ....Dave

I may have to go with better fencing than what I have now or maybe do the fence and the spray both!

Take a pot or two, cut the bottom off then slide it over the rose. If you cut the pot just right you can use the holes in it to put stakes through.

This has been the easy fix for me. Once the roses start growing the rabbits won't eat it.