My guess would be deer. At least that's who I'm blaming in my yard. They always seem to take the things that don't grow back.

:(
Dee

I don't think deer...we have too many other things that are scrumptious to them, and none are touched.

Well, perhaps, but I do have deer that come through my yard - they seem to have a path all plotted out - and the lilies, as well as daylilies, rudbeckias, and phlox, are along this deer route, and all of them have the buds bitten off. Hostas that are there are untouched, so maybe you are right. But I have seen the deer walk through here so I just blamed them. Maybe I'm blaming the wrong culprit... But I'm also not sure what else can eat up that high.

Dee

If you have chipmunks in your yard, it's them. I've watched them shimmy up lilies to bite off the buds. Between the beetle and the chipmunks, I pulled out all my lilies and gave them away.