nhbabs, when I've seen them in my gardens doing the thrashing, it's more of a display.....'look at me, I'm bigger, tougher, stronger, and have the best genes'...in other words, beginning of mating season. I don't know if the does are impressed or not, we did have many fawns running through here, and still do now this month ;) I had just told DH earlier in the week that I hoped the bigger, heavier males weren't going to be hanging out here so much this year, we've taken out some larger things that gave them protection and some of their favorite foods too, like the ivy, laurel, blackberry. A three point walked across the front and through the island bed just yesterday, up the stairs (they do use the stairs) of the hillside, crossed the street to the neighbors apple tree.

Four lined bug is probably the culprit. Here is a link that might be useful: Fixes for buddleia leaf spots

Hi Bill, you posted back in June of 07' about an animal eating your butterfly bush. Did you ever figure out what it was. I have a 2 year old beautiful butterfly bush that is being mutilated a little at a time every night. I set out a cage trap with apples in it and this critter manages to eat the fruit with out setting the trap every time. I'm thinking it is a very light animal. The bush is 5 ft high and it climbs the branches and strips them and then cuts off the branch and hauls it away. Would love to know if you had any luck finding out what it was eating yours. Thanks Lilia Poway

I have a PestServ discussion about the skeletonized leaves we are all experiencing, can't seem to locate it now, might have deleted. Nonetheless, our BB has a combination of earwigs, leafhoppers, planthoppers and several small crickets (!) engorging themselves on the leaves. My Monarda are experiencing the same fate, as are several other ornamentals. Never-ending battle for us this year. Dan