Mysterious disappearance of seed potatoes

[alan refail]

Can anyone suggest a solution to this mystery?

Every year I set up seed potatoes in trays in our old smithy - thick stone walls and frost-free.

I had trays of Sharpe's Express, Red Duke of York, Rooster and Nicola. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that half of the Nicola had disappeared - all from one half of the tray, not random ones. I puzzled as to whether I had actually set up a full tray, and filled up with some spares I had elsewhere. Yesterday I noticed that about a third of the Rooster had gone in the same fashion - all from one end of the tray. And I knew that had definitely been a full tray. The two trays of earlies have not been touched at all. I moved them all to another (secure?) outhouse until it's dry enough to plant them, and before I lose any more.

The question is: what's to blame? My wife fancies it must be an escaped convict hiding out in the smithy - but then she does read too many books! I have had minor problems with mice in the past, but I recognise the signs - nibbled potatoes and mice droppings. No sign of that. Do rats carry potatoes away? And would they systematically remove them in rows from one end of one tray at a time?

As a control test I left two small tubers in a tray when I moved the rest yesterday - today they are not there.

[oldherbaceous]

I'm certain it will be a rat, Alan.

[Clive.]

Or perhaps 2 rats.??...

We had a strange one the other year. Rats got in the Applestore and chewed their way through loads of Apples....leaving piles of minced up Apple pulp.
It seems that the trick was to mince the Apple down to the core..then leave the remaining half of the Apple untouched and repeat throughout the trays..

Seems that they had got a taste for Apple pips.??...and half the Apple was just pulped to get to them....

This was before they got a taste for slug bait. ..metaldehyde and ferrous whatever....they enjoy both without ill effect it seems...

Clive.

[Chantal]

Try sprinkling flour on the surface around the seed tray, then you can check for footprints and drag marks (I read too much as well ).

[glallotments]

A new job is on the cards for you Chantal - CID scenes of crime!

[alan refail]

Thanks Chantal. Scene of crime is prepered

I always suspected reading would come in useful

[Elle's Garden]

Ooh, I can't wait to find out the identity of the thief, please post tomorrow as soon as you know Alan.

[oldherbaceous]

Elemetary my dear Alan.

[peter]

Sherlock Holmes was male, the equivalent female would be Miss Marple, the quintissential "Old Biddie", so it would seem that certain people have been alleging that Chantal is an "old Biddie".


Oh dear oh dear, she'll go absolutely demented.........

[Tigger]

Oh yes she will .......

[oldherbaceous]

Thank-you moderators.

[alan refail]

Ooh, I can't wait to find out the identity of the thief, please post tomorrow as soon as you know Alan.

Just been out to check - potato still there, flour unmarked. Clever things these rats(?) -- or convicts

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alan, you didn't really think the rats were going to fool for an old trick like that, did you! They would all have been busy on their mobiles, to let each other know of your cunning plot.

[alan refail]

I rather suspected they'd leave the potato and lick up all the flour

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alan, just one more thought regarding the escaped convict idea, one sure way of telling if it is, if you wake up in the middle of the night and your wife is not there, it might well be.

Now i've been reading too much!