Seedlings eaten to soil level overnight

I am not at all new to growing, but have never seen this! I use two separate rooms with lighted plant stands. I had two trays of seedlings in each room (but there is no door separating the rooms). Yesterday, the pots seemed to not be drying down enough, so I left off the domes.
This morning I went down to find that the two trays in one room, the ones with the youngest seedlings (2 to 10 days old) were completely gone!
There is not a hint of a scrap of greenery left. The soil does not appear disturbed in the least, no mouse footprints or scratching. So weird! The trays in the other room, with seedlings up to 3 weeks old, are completely untouched. Obviously, I have replaced the domes on them.
We are located in Ontario, Canada, so no exotic creatures are likely. The farmhouse basement is not proof against small outdoor critters getting in, though.
These were intended for outdoor growth when the weather allows, but now I’ve lost half my crop! Cloning is still possible, of course, but it means starting late.
Any ideas what may have done this?

It sound to me like it’s more than likely not a mouse that moved your tray to the other side or room
It may have been something a bit bigger
Do you have a cat :cat: down there?

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The trays were not moved at all. I had two trays on a rack in one room. All the seedlings disappeared from those two trays, but there was no physical movement of the trays or the pots.
The two trays on a different rack in a different room were not touched.

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If you have a cat I know my loves to eat them sorry for your loss I’m at a loss for words

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Oh my bad I misunderstood then
I would lean towards mice then ? Just a guess though if there’s not cats lol

I’m beginning to think a small snake is a possibility. Like I said, it is an old farmhouse basement. We do have cats, but they are definitely not to blame. They aren’t allowed in the basement, and could not climb the wire frame stands without causing a lot of visible damage. And anyway, I don’t believe they would chew 18 seedlings down to the soil without leaving a single shred of evidence.

Could it be a Chipmunk.

hmm… farmhouse basement, early spring. You got any crickets down there?

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I Think its time for one of those night Trail Cams, motion detected.

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I don’t think so, but would crickets be so thorough to completely eat 18 seedlings?

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think of it like this…cricket smells the pot, eats one, gets the munchies. Did ya ever eat just 1 cookie? or do ya end up eating the whole bag?

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Yo @bryan, That’s Hilarious !!!

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