In my experience, gray squirrels can go years without bothering rhododendron flower buds but then suddenly become a problem. This is exactly what happened last year. Buds were not eaten, but young squirrels seemed to take great delight in severing them from the branches, sometimes climbing to considerable heights to do so. Hot pepper sprays can help, but relocation of the offenders is a better solution.

So far they've only attack one cultivar for me...odd. The new Thompson hybrid called 'True Blue', which made it through the polar winters just fine. Every year they eat the flower buds off.

I've at least seen it in bloom California now. I wouldn't say true blue but it's pretty close.

They eat the buds off my lilacs. Little buggers.

Last spring we had a late frost which killed most of the Southern Red Oak flowers and consequently, there was little to no acorn crop. The squirrels were very hungry and ate all my undeveloped Asian persimmons. Never had that problem before. Hopefully we will have acorns this season and the persimmons will not be so tempting.

These bushy tailed critters aren't a source of anything except frustration when you see your beds dug up and tomatoes chewed. A few months back, I started hearing strange noises in the wee hours of the morning. Something like an animal scrambling and running along the roof on the outside. My husband made a couple of inspection during daytime in the attic and came out with nothing. One night when we were outside, we saw something flying from a tree on the opposite side across the yard. In the dark, Nothing was clear and we couldn't figure out what it was. It looked more like a chameleon to me that day.
The next day, on inspection in the attic, we found some droppings. They were all confined to a single area. Upon discussing the problem with a few friends, we came to the conclusion that it is a flying squirrel. I set up a live trap which didn't work and finally called for a humane squirrel removal service in Markham service to get rid of it. This creature almost ate all of my berries and other veggies in my garden. If you find one around your premises, get this creature out at any cost, or it is going to cost you a lot.

This year for the first time it appears that squirrels are "pruning" my azaleas and occasionally my Nellie Stevens holly. I find up to half a dozen twigs about 18"-24" long with leaves and buds that have been cut from my azalea bushes on my path or door step every morning. I shall soon have nothing left. What is the purpose of this? I haven't actually seen them, but what else could it be? They are also cutting off the buds of a deciduous magnolia. Any theories?

The brownish ones that drive the pooches crazy have, so far, left my plants alone. Probably eating acorns from the trees in front of most of the houses around here.

Elizabeth, your plants might have awakened early and a cold snap/late frost caused winter damage to the end of the tips.

In my area, chewed off twigs are often from porcupines, but I don’t know if this is A factor where you are, Elizabeth. I am in central NH, quite rural.