Update; The person placing the rocks posted this on our community FB page.

A Rock on Your Mailbox If you find a rock on your mailbox, please know it was placed there intentionally and with prayer. On my almost-daily walks, I place a rock on a mailbox as a simple symbol of Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation. Before placing it, I pray for the household and family connected to that home. It is simply a small reminder that you and your family are being prayed for and that God is your Rock, refuge, and salvation. “For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?”


So we have mailboxes at the street for our mail to be delivered.

Within the last few months I started noticing small quarter size rocks being put on my mailbox. I knock it off and another one shows up. When it first happened I first thought it was my neighbor and good friend messing around with me so after the third one I went and put them on his mailbox. Then asked him about it a few days later. He lives two houses down from me. Works nights and walks his dog when he is off of gets home. He said he thought it was his grandson who lives with them and denied doing it. But it continued to happen. Still thought it was him messing with me.

Well last week they were on vacation in Colorado and rocks were still showing up so I let him know he was no longer my suspect.

Wife and I were leaving the house the other day and I was updating her on Gary no longer being the rock bandit suspect and as we were driving out of here she says look at that mailbox and another and another one all with damn rocks on them.

So what is the thought or purpose behind putting rocks on mailboxes? These are not the painted rocks that many were painting and hiding and when found you took a picture and posted it then hid them again that was going around several years ago.

This is someone out walking around with a pocket full of rocks randomly placing them on mailboxes.

I just knock them off on the ground around the post. Guess I will have my own rock garden in a few years. Just think its weird and really don’t want the rocks.

Anyone have a clue. Google didn’t really have much other then marking a house for a prank, possibly signaling for crime activity.

Don’t think its anything but a well meaning person walking and thinking it’s a fun thing to do but i really don’t care for it and wish it would stop.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mustang-PaPa,

Are the rocks painted, is there a message on the bottom? Sometimes kids paint things on rocks and leave them around as inspirational.

Contact your USPS office, touching, defacing, doing anything to a mailbox is a violation, they can look into enforcement finding who is putting them on all the mailboxes in the area...

Or put a trail cam up and see if you can catch the Rock Bandit! well guess they really aren't a bandit, but still....


Google Aeye says:

People place rocks on or inside mailboxes for several distinct reasons, ranging from community games to illegal activity or pranks.

Community and Painted Rock Games

• Kindness rocks: Children and neighbors frequently participate in community art games where they paint inspirational messages, smiley faces, or bright designs on small stones and hide or trade them in local spots, including mailboxes.

• Neighborhood drops: Friends or kids sometimes leave a painted rock in a neighbor's or friend's mailbox as a friendly gesture to spread joy.

Pranks, Vandalism, or Security Concerns

• Kids and mischief: Random rocks left inside or on top of a mailbox are frequently just minor vandalism, mischief, or pranks by local youth.

• Signaling or tracking: In rare cases, unfamiliar objects or rocks can act as a marker to check if a house is vacant (if the rock stays untouched for days) or, more rarely, as a localized sign of harassment or intimidation.

• Legal notice: Under U.S. federal law, it is illegal to place any non-postal item (including rocks, notes, or foreign objects) inside a mail receptacle designated for USPS delivery.

quote:

• Signaling or tracking:

Casing your place?

These are unpainted rocks being placed on the mailbox not inside.
Had already looked at the code knowing putting anything in a mailbox was a nono unless its your own box and you are putting out going mail in it.

Live in a gated community with security. Little to no crime. I am active as most of my neighbors are also. We all watch out for others.

Maybe an autistic young person. Just a guess but I had a kid that lived down the street that would put the red flag up on my box. It really bothered me to the point that I positioned a camera to capture the culprit.

Pretty sure its just an adult out on their walks doing it.

Thought it was happening at night but It happened between 8-10 am the other day.

Is your mailbox a school bus stop? Kids being kids?

No not a bus stop.

Its also happening to many other mailboxes on our street. Our street is one of the main streets in and out of here.

We have our regular walkers doing exercise walking or dog walking but for the most part its risky. The speed limit is 25 but not many follow the speed limit and speed like hell. The roads are narrow with no side walks. The screwy thing is our bylaws state pedestrians do not have the right of way and many assholes drive like that.

Some kid having his little joke. I could see myself doing that at age ten.

No significant harm being done. Eventually he’ll tire of it or get caught and scolded.

Pretty sure its an adult. Due to the time its happening and the number of other mailboxes its happening too.

You could always set up a blink or similar battery powered camera in an hidden spot and see what you see.

Just a friendly crow or two, anyone in the neighborhood feeding them?

Sniper blind and the 3 S's.

But seriously, if it is a serious concern to you, put a wireless camera up to record your mailbox.

^^^ Keep them rocks off my mailbox!


Would be some really amazing crows to put that many rocks on so many mailboxes.

My buddy has game cameras out the wazoo. I figure I will end up spotting them eventually.

Was just wondering if anyone else had run across this. While I never got into the whole painted rock craze several years ago I did get it. I know the grandkids enjoyed it when they were young. Hell our chief of security was painting some pretty good ones that he would post about before hiding them.

quote:

Originally posted by Mustang-PaPa:
^^^ Keep them rocks off my mailbox!


Would be some really amazing crows to put that many rocks on so many mailboxes.

.

They are very smart, humans wake up wondering what we are going to eat. They wake up wondering when they will. I have run across this before, on door steps though.
They know you go to the mailbox, so, if someone around there is feeding them they will start a rock collection for you .

They know you are gone if no one knocks the rocks off.

Not as obvious as the “For Rent” sign thieves put in our yard while we were in Michigan for the summer.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
They know you are gone if no one knocks the rocks off.

Not as obvious as the “For Rent” sign thieves put in our yard while we were in Michigan for the summer.

At first I thought about that, but being a gated community and going on for a couple months, not sure if it's crime related.

At least one of your neighbors will have a camera recording their mailbox. Ask the ones with cameras.

I like the crow theory also (I've heard of this before)...

Yes, crows can leave rocks, pebbles, or other small items on or near mailboxes, porch railings, and feeding spots. 

Why Do Crows Leave Rocks?

• "Gifting" Behavior: Wild crows recognize individual humans who regularly feed them. Many bird watchers and researchers—including conservation ecologist John Marzluff at the University of Washington—describe leaving behind rocks, bones, keys, or shiny trinkets as a form of "gifting".

• Curiosity and Exploration: Crows are highly intelligent corvids that love to pick up, inspect, and transport random objects out of curiosity.

• Accidental Drops: A crow might be carrying a rock or other item in its beak while flying or looking for food and accidentally drop it on your mailbox.

• Learned Association: If a crow drops an object near a feeding area and you react with excitement or leave more food, the bird may learn to repeat the behavior because it yields a positive reward. 

^^^^^ Possible.

I do an early walk most mornings. Along the way there are crows that recognize me because I bring kibble for them – Purina Fancy Feast. Some singles, some mated pairs.

When I’m spotted, the bolder male lands near me to ask for his treat. After I put some kibble down and walk on a few paces his mate, if any, flies down to get her share.

They don’t fly down for any other pedestrians. In certain seasons Jr. flies down too. Mom picks up a piece of kibble and puts it in Jr’s beak.