What eats broccoli?

I live in Houston....the suburbs. I garden in my backyard which is fenced in with a 6-foot wooden privacy fence. Since Thanksgiving, I have been faithfully waiting for my fall broccoli to head up. Finally, I had quarter sized heads and went out there after 2 days to check their progress (it poured down rain those 2 days) and something had eatten all the broccoli heads. Needless to say I'm not a happy camper after "babying" those plants thru the super hot autumn we have had. The plants look like somebody literally took a knife to them and harvested them. I've been growing broccoli in the fall for 12 years here and never seen anything like it. My lettuce and cabbage is untouched. The much smaller broccoli plants are untouched. The garlic has not been disturbed. I haven't seen rabbits around here in about 4 years. Do rats eat broccoli? Occasionally I see one of those in the winter but not the summer. Perhaps one came in from the fields they clear to build ever more houses on out here in west Houston? Any ideas? I'm baffled....never seen anything like it before. Never saw cabbage loppers this year either--expected trouble from them but the leaves are all untouched.
Debbie

If they are clearing land nearby you can expect all kinds of new visitors. Check around the bottom of your fence for openings. I've had house sparrows eat broccoli most summers but they just nibble the tops. Opossum, racoons too! Rats eat anything.
Andy P

I never thought of raccoons and oppossums. Just because I've never seen them doesn't mean they aren't there! I kinda figured rats weren't too picky. I hope these guys move along in the cold weather out of my yard!

In the northeast, broccoli is the favorite plant for woodchucks...aka groundhogs. Their addiction is such that high voltage fences, angry Labs and 25-06s will not always deter them.
I would severly interrogate their prarie dog cousins in my search for the culprit. If they are like the groundhog, they can pig out on your entire crop in short order.

Well said Shagbark. Woodchucks sure are persistent.
Check that fence Debbie. Even small openings at ground level can let in big trouble.
Andy P

I will check that fence....but I don't think we have woodchucks in Houston. But raccoons, oppossums, armadillos, and field rats are a serious possibility. Maybe I need to get out there in the middle of the night and flash a spot light. Maybe I might capture them like the proverbial "deer in the headlights" and at least solve the mystery of this baffling broccoli bandit. We don't have a lot of real tall trees here in my area yet but I have seen one or two squirrels. Do squirrels eat broccoli? Seems like a squirrel would prefer the millions of acorns from the two large oak trees out in my front yard though. But I guess if they get hungary enough.......

I've had squirrels cut off sunflower heads clean as if it was done with a sharp knife.

PP

Check for Democrats - I hear they love the stuff :))

You Bet, We know what is good for us!
Andy P

I love it too! Hadn't thought about a democratic squirrel....LOL

The rodents have now eatten my cabbage too. So far they don't seem to care for lettuce. I think I'm going to invest in some rat traps!