Evidence

The above photo is a footprint on a window ledge on my front porch. Back in April, I bought 5 bags of cocoa shell mulch on sale at the Hadley Garden Center. I wasn't ready to spread it yet so I piled up the bags on the front porch up against the house. I thought they would be safe from hungry critters since it wasn't really food. I've learned not to leave bags of bird seed on the porch. However, cocoa shell mulch apparently smells like food and some hungry critter tried on more than one occasion to break into the bags. I found holes in the bags and mulch on the porch. It wasn't a huge mess so I didn't do anything about it.

This is what I think happened:

Hungry critter comes up on the porch and sniffs around for some something good to eat. Sniffs the cocoa shell mulch. "Chocolate! This is going to be GOOD!"

Hungry critter rips into the plastic bag and starts munching on the mulch.

"This stuff is terrible! This isn't chocolate!"

Hungry critter repeats this routine on several occasions. Remember, their brains are tiny!

Weeks later, I finally spread the mulch. Hungry critter must rely on sloppy birds leaving sunflower seeds on the porch. Didn't like the cocoa shell mulch anyway.