If you find a toothpick lodged into the edges of your front door, there's a fair chance it was placed there by a burglar. The reason? To see if anyone is home.
The Edegem local police HEKLA say they received several recent reports in Edegem and surrounding areas about toothpicks stuck in front doors, which could be a burglar trick.
"The toothpicks can be used as a 'pre-burglary' device. Sticks that remain hanging or sticking out could indicate a long-term absence of residents. Burglars then think they can strike undisturbed," HEKLA recently warned on social media channels.
In other words, if the toothpick is still in its original place when the burglar returns, it indicates that the residents are on vacation or away for a longer period: a prime time for a burglary. But if the toothpick fell out, it means the residents recently opened the door and are indeed home.
You might remember Sean Connery as James Bond pioneering a similar trick in Dr. No, where he uses saliva to stick a single hair across the edge of his wardrobe to see if anyone opens it in his absence.
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"Are you going on holiday? Ask your neighbours, family or friends to check your front door daily," the HEKLA concludes.
