Residents living in a block of apartments in Germany were puzzled by persistent doorbell ringing during the early hours, eventually discovering an unexpected cause. Initially suspecting a common local prank involving ringing doorbells and running away, similar to the British game ‘knock knock ginger’, the mystery was later unraveled by the police. They found that a slug had been gliding back and forth on the doorbell plate, activating the sensors and leading to repeated ringing.
One resident, Lisa, recounted the strange occurrence to Bild, mentioning that despite their reluctance to answer the door late at night, the continuous ringing prompted her attention. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the slug’s movements over the sensors had triggered the doorbells.
Following the identification of the slug as the culprit, law enforcement shared that the slug was relocated to a nearby grass area after being educated about its territorial boundaries. In a separate incident, homeowners have been advised about potential animal interactions with doorbells, such as dogs reacting to the sound by barking.
To address barking triggered by doorbell sounds, animal charity Blue Cross recommended owners to understand the root cause of their dog’s behavior and implement a training plan. They suggested recording and playing back triggering sounds gradually to desensitize the dog, rewarding calm behavior in a process known as desensitization or counter conditioning.