It could be anything. Armadillos to Zebras (not really :), but I know that Armadillos can tear up a lawn and flowerbed. They don't want the plants, they want the bugs under the plants. Cats are also a possibility, though they are looking to use the site as a litter box. Personally, I would bet on the armadillo. To stop them, there is a spray that I use, which is basically a type of 'scare factor'. The scent is unpleasant to animals, invoking a fear response, which gets them to leave the area and look for a more welcoming garden. It will work for deer, voles, moles...just about anything. And it is humane. I've used Plantskydd for rats (I live out in the country) that were digging up my strawberries. It worked! I wish you well! I know how frustrating that can be. Here is a link that might be useful: Plantskydd

Just so everyone knows, daylilies - Hemerocallis species and hybrids - are not lilies despite that common name. They are not bulbs like true lilies (Lilium species and hybrids) but just a fleshy rooted perennial. But the buds and flowers can be browsed by various plant eating creatures just like true lilies and a host of other perennials and shrubs. In my garden with a moderate deer presence, the deer will often eat the flowers or flower buds off of just about anything, even for plants they normally avoid. So my vote would be deer damage.

Hi, Bluegrassmom. Fortunately, there are not many deers running around my development. If there are, I am sure they would go for my rose bushes first. It looks like the culprit is the squirrel. They run rampant around here. With two neighbors growing 4 oak trees, it is inevitable. It started innocently enough, this peony love. I bought a few peonies to try several years ago. Then I added a few more. Then there were the sales that I couldn't pass up so I added a few more. Then I saw photos of oh so beautiful peonies posted on GW, and I gotta to grow these peonies too. Before I know it, I have added over 100 peonies to the home garden. It is crazy. But every spring that I see their blooms, it seems to be all worth it. I have gotten some new itoh peonies this fall that I am very excited about and can't wait to see their first bloom.

Thanks. The teeth look similiar...but the skull isn't the same... My little sister has multiple deer skulls (along with Whitetailed young&old) and they dont look the same. Its not a coyote, cat and obviously not a bird...or human (which is good)