Some natural fertilizers draw critters like chipmunks (I have to dissolve and ferment alfalfa if I want my plants to get any nutrition, chipmunks thought I bought them organic snacks at the feed store). Watering well with the application as suggested and moving the mulch helps. The critters don't like cedar or pine mulch. I like RoseTone (I like all the tones for what it is worth). It is very stinky, fishy kind of stinky when wet.
I bought bubble gum at the dollar store for the chipmunks. They are supposed to die constipated. I don't see a decrease in population or any waddling around holding their tummies, so it may not work.
I also apply fertilizer at lower dosages, especially in the hottest weather. I like to try to fertilize before rainy days if possible. A half or quarter dose more often seems to work well for me.
I keep mulch away from the drip line of the roses. If I am really lazy or overheated, I dissolve and pour the fertilizer (typically alfalfa tea) around the unmulched areas around roses and other plants.
Mulches and fertilizer can effect pH, so it is good to test the soil from time to time. My soil is already acidic, so I don't need to add acidic fertilizer like some rose gardeners.
