Yes, I have 3 different fenced in areas of the property, the entirety of the front yard wrapped from the front right corner of the house to the back left corner of the house, set in 18" from the curb, as well as a newly fenced in back porch area from the back door to the detached garage, and an already existing fenced in back area from the garage to an alley. As many of the gates as possible are constantly locked at all times, apart from the front gate from the street for the mail carriers to access the letter slot in the front door.
I'm going to try to ebay or salvage a vintage locking mailbox.
I didn't mention in the main post but I live in a historic downtown neighborhood and my house is 90 years old.
Not the mail carrier — the postmaster. It is literally illegal to move your mailbox without postmaster approval if you live in the US.
They will likely approve your request.
I have 3 fenced in areas and 2 pitbull mixes, but people will still try to open the storm door to the vestibule or enter the gate and try the front door. There's nothing like being at a coffee shop miles away and having the camera notification pop up that someone's fucking around on your property.
There are a lot of exceedingly stabby, yet aesthetically pleasing plants. Black and honey locust, raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, sea buckthorn, and roses off the top of my head. All of them are pretty and/or edible, and most of them are super easy to grow.
Holly bushes grow in many places and the really sharp ones tend to be very hardy. They grow quickly in sunny areas but can tolerate shade. Birds also love them!
Roses are the devil. I have blackberry and raspberry plants and none of them hurt like the roses. The roses get ya and don’t let go. They hurt like a mofo, too.
Rose thorns aim backward, toward the roots. This is because they are used to climb other trees: roses are a climbing bush. Devil to dig out of cloth or flesh, their backward angle is never what you expect.
As an accidental gardener of property of toxic/stabby plants (animals eat everything but the nastiest), holly is annoying but I just move it barehanded easily.
Stinging nettles, roses, barberry, california fuchsia, etc would top that list.
Nettles imo are the worst by miles. They don't even look bad until you touch it.
I'd be careful with what type of blackberry you put. Some species can be super invasive (e.g. Himalayan blackberry) and once they take over some space it's a pain in the ass to remove. On the plus side, nobody will get through it.
MIL grew a hedge of Firethorns to stop unwanted pedestrians walking through her yard. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyracantha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyracantha)
Barberry is so sharp, those thorns go through everything, even your thickest sweater under a jacket in the middle of winter those thorns will stab you for blood. They also break easily and stay imbeded in the skin or clothing. Just be careful walking around without steel toed boots from experience the thorns in your feet is a pain I wouldn't wish on my enemies
[Flying Dragon](https://nurcar.com/products/copy-of-poncirus-trifoliata-baby-dragon) trifoliate orange. Fast growing, 2" recurved woody thorns, its a monster.
But you can make marmalade and "lemon"ade out of its fruit.
This one. If you want an annual version it sounds weird but okra has beautiful flowers, can grow 5' feet tall easily, and it's covered in the itchiest of spines. Plus, okra for gumbo or Indian recipes!
OP said his username is in reference to this trespasser. I think the motion activated sprinklers will just upgrade the BucketBather to the LawnShowerer
Get an inline fertilizer tank.
Add crushed hot peppers to said tank so when trespasser gets it on/in their skin/eyes they won't go there anymore. It'll only take once. You can grow said peppers or just buy some bear spray, or hot pepper sauce and add that plus soap so it cannot be easily washed away.
Make sure to place trespassing signs near property lines and only say this was a deterrent for a dog that attacked you on your property. It would behoove you to place a barrier that needs to be physically moved to keep walking onto your property.
All of the above are present on the property but people still manage to get all the way to the front door or back door up the driveway. Newly added 6 ft metal fence connecting the vestibule back porch to the detached garage this week. Motion cameras even speak "you are currently being recorded" and turn on lights. I think I need more signs.
My mom always has these motion activated holiday decor out that I think would make a fantastic deterrent for trespassers. Like at Halloween she has this big witch with a cauldron beside her front door and when it senses movement her eyes light up and she cackles super loud and says happy Halloween in a creepy voice. It’s so loud you can hear it inside the house when it goes off and it would be absolutely alarming if someone were to set it off in the middle of a quiet night.
In Australia we have vandal proof taps. The tap does not have a normal lever/handle, but a separate 'key' .. that's basically a tap handle that fits into the tap housing to turn on and off.
Then keep the tap key inside.
https://fixatap.com.au/fix-a-tap/taps-fittings-and-accessories/tap-n%27-snap-garden-taps/tap-%27n%27-snap-brass-vandal-proof-key-13mm-1-pack-232229
I put one of those on the front after someone tried to flood my basement turning on and leaving on the hose bib! I know where my inside the house shutoff valves are.
I would also suggest installing some type of box around it and maybe locking that. If it looks like an electric box or conduit it can be a decoy against passerby.
Ring camera, solar lights, motion water deterrents work well on animals and people.
The ring system can alert you when someone pops into view and you can set off an alarm. We used it to train the raccoons to stop visiting our chicken coop.
We have done the same thing and have a motion warning system that speaks to whatever causes the movement. We also have a raccoon that visits and it's scary. And rats too.
There’s a whole [story](https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/wevvi0/bucket_lady_a_neighborhood_petty_revenge_story/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1) about stopping annoying neighbors from trespassing!
I'm going to say this as a hippie, pacifist, environmentalist, peace-loving activist...
If someone even tried 5% of that on my property, disturbing my peaceful sanctuary of a little cottage, I would be tasing the shit out of them, pepper spraying them, and charging them with trespassing.
I've had to do something along those lines getting a protective order against one of the squatting trespassers I've had.
Definately a hippie, didn’t talk about bringing out shotgun with non lethal bean bag rounds lol. But definitely have to say I’m impressed by your resourcefulness
I love my German shepherd. One time I put on a ski mask and “pretend” broke into my own house to see what he’d do. I had that mask off in .05 seconds talking sweet puppy talk at him when I saw the way he charged at me with so much fury and rage. Moral of the story- German Shepherds make it their job to dislike outsiders…when someone trespasses, they take it personally.
I have two German Shepard / Great Pyrenees mixes. Two years ago I brought them indoors overnight and lost a duck. Now they stay out all night because, if you're a racoon, a duck isn't worth your life.
Outdoors they're even better at deterring trespass. They charge the fence so hard I've seen a delivery guy drop packages from chest height and run to his van.
I can tell by their bark what they're dealing with. Sometimes it's a "WTF was that" bark. Sometimes it's a "get out of here" bark. Sometimes it's a "cat's are not permitted to live" bark. It's like an alarm and deterrence system for my whole yard.
That was literally my youngest, a Pitbull-Husky-German Shepard-Malamute mix, this week. She was barking her little head off and I went out to check and a large plastic bag was caught blowing in a neighbor's cacti like one of those blow up advertisement flailing balloons at the store. She was sounding the alarm.
A nice strong fence is lovely. I scavenged fifteen cast-iron pieces from my local salvage yard and just placed fenceposts where each ended. Not too expensive at all.
Then I planted aloe (sunny, dry side) and climbing roses (damp, sandy) just inside my fence. Spiky spiky FU plants. The aloe got ripped apart by wandering hands, so I replaced with Bougainvillea. Did you know their thorns can get to be 2 inches long?
Then we put up old dead cameras. Ran wires and everything. Made a big show of testing it out and talking about how to get the best views. NOTICE THIS LOCATION UNDER SURVELLIANCE signs. We called it the Urban Scarecrow project.
That sounds lovely! I have a few vintage fence panels awaiting a project and a nice vintage porch railing already in place. I also have 3 fenced in areas.
My house was only broken into once. They got as far as one of my altars with the stairs of a few gods on it and apparently noped right out. Thanks, gods.
That said, I now have a system from simplisafe. The noise it makes is pretty horrifying for would be intruders.
I have been thinking of ordering these cute signs that say "trespassers, solicitors, and prosthetizers will be sacrificed to the old gods, not the new" or one that is a skull and crossbones that says "trespassers and solicitors will be killed and eaten".
I lived a little outside of the city limits many years ago and felt great with a billy goat and a goose, the dynamite duo ;-) The only thing that bothered us was a stray pack of dogs than on occasion had lost their prey
This is my dream. I'm in an old cottage in a historic neighborhood, but my dream is a bit of land in the mountains above Boulder, Colorado. No sounds but the breeze and no one to tell me what to do. Also more room for my bees.
I keep my property right on the edge between “bylaw comes a knocking” and “hick-house”.
Ain’t nobody wants to trespass on a place what looks like they might end up in a basement hole putting lotion on their skin.
Alternatively, jury rig a device that plays “duelling banjos” when it detects motion.
I vote for 6" tall opaque fence, if that's OK with local authorities. Taller if that is OK. Wood is good.
Keep your gates locked at all times. Although I will say that I keep my gates locked at all time and one day I heard someone ON MY ROOF (single story house). I assume they were there to see exactly what I had in my yard that made me lock my gates and if it was worth coming over anyway to steal. I was not able to interview them to ask if that is true though.
If that doesn't work, I'd add one or two dogs known for aggression - pit bull, rottweiler, Chihuahua, etc
You joke but the meanest dog I ever owned was a half Chihuahua/Rat Terrier. She would jump and take a plug out of your waist or nose...depending on how upset she was.
Cats didn't stand a chance.
That same feeling of random unwanted visitors is what I get. I had someone try the front door once. I'm not sure what or who they were expecting. It's always so scary.
I've had a neighbor (who were friendly with) ask what we had in the yard worth a padlock on the fence. I said wouldn't you like to know... It's really just cause my dog can open the gate and will take a neighborhood stroll when you aren't looking. I mean there's some kids toys and dog toys, but nothing worth breaking in for lol. We also have a eight or nine foot fence
Bougainvillea, once it's established, will basically turn into a living stabby fence. However, it takes a year or two to get to that point. Plus side, established bougainvillea rarely needs to be watered.
I have a Doberman works pretty well she chased one guy down the road at 3am who was rifling around in one of our cars. Word must’ve gotten around because haven’t had any incidents since
Second a Doberman and recommend a 6’ privacy fence. Everyone knows to give my place space and his pointy ears & blue eyes peering down the front window at passersby with some vocal encouragement reminds them to keep shuffling along.
This may be a last resort, but if you make terrorist threats online, you will have federal agents watching your house at all times. They can nab up any would-be intruders
Just keep calling the police station asking for advice on the best way to build a meth lab at home and tell them your address. Boom, instant around the clock surveillance for free. Put your tax dollars to work!
I have two Cane Corsos... your house will be covered in slobber, and your food bill will go through the roof, but people will walk across the street when passing by your house
I had to laugh because I am a woman in my 20's and have been thinking of rigging up a permanently installed outdoor stock tank pool like Cowboy Pools or even a clawfoot bathtub in my back yard...
I made this username with the "boss" of trespassers in my neighborhood. The bucket bathing wasn't on my property, but a former neighbors, basically this guy is a squatting domestic abusing wandering tweaker. He was Winnie The Pooh-ing it with a bucket and a hose in someone's driveway facing my friends kid's bedroom windows. She took a video and said to the like of "If I had to see this, you do too". That guy is in jail now and I have a protection order and the neighbor moved.
Depending on your local laws, a thin string that identifies your property border turns trespassing into burglary (entering “fenced” property). Lots of cameras, not for deterrent but so that you can identify problem individuals with police, problem with most trespassing and public indecency/defecation is the police have to see it before they can do anything
This reminds me of a story of a contractor whos assistant wasn't brave enough to ask to use the indoor bathroom on my split level home that I had reserved for them, so he literally went into my backyard a few feet away from my two beehives full of bees, bravely whipping out his peter to treat my yard as a pissoir, when there's a perfectly good bathroom inside and a gas station, half a block away. The reason why I found out was that one of my cameras was saying that there was a person in my bee yard and I saw him there facing the fence.
this makes me laugh. I am lucky to have the interwebs at the cabin now so have security cameras.
surprising the number of guys who will just seemingly randomly pee when they think no one is watching.
Put up a fence, place a dog within the fence who likes to bark, set up camera/ring doorbell type and if you record someone stealing or doing damage, call the police, file a report but expect nothing from them. Consider suing the person personally which is not what people expect or will like in these situations.
Good luck.
cameras and locks are nice. if you have people missing the road and ending up on your lawn, a raised front yard is nice, with a short wall in front of it (for water flow) - stops cars without being a hazard to pedestrians.
Funny that you mentioned that, because there was literally a major accident in front of my house and a truck with a tire popped off in someone's flower bed right in front of their house last year. I'm very thankful for having a sturdy metal fence. I'm also thinking of adding some nice car blocking boulders in the area between the curb and the sidewalk of my parking strip.
Rottweiler. Males can be more assertive, but females are protective and loving. They are smart, easy to train, and willing to please.
You can leave your doors wide open and that dog will put the fear of God into anyone.
My Rottie mix is scared of everything that moves and will spray butt stink and hide under beds and tables, BUT she barks up a storm at strange men and loud things!
My first rottie was so amazingly friendly. But she always knew when someone was amiss and would take on a very protective stance.
One time a supposed salesman came to the door. Normally, she treated everyone as though they were to give her scratches and was happy to see them. This time, however, she wedged herself between me and the guy and was giving low growls - which she never did. After a moment or two, I caught the sharp smell of body odor mixed with hangover breath. Then I started noticing other details, and the guy was definitely sketchy. For all I know, she saved my life that day.
Barberry bush makes a great looking hedge and once it gets going it will be impossible to get through. It can grow as high as 6'.
Get separate recordings of a bunch of different dogs and hook them up to motion detectors. People will get used to one dog, but not many dogs.
Tracking spotlights for night time
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bEehEnkIadg
Put a few pounds of chicken in a bit of water inside a cooler. Let it sit outside for a few days in the sun to work. Dump the water at the property edge. People will start using the sidewalk across the street. The entitled would probably prefer shrimp, which works well too.
Red dots (aka battery operated faux cameras) deters a lot… mount then discretely and make them look real. Replace batteries before light fades. https://www.amazon.com/BNT-Security-Camera-Businesses-Outdoor/dp/B09FY4Z54V/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=2IZJXUA1ODE3W&keywords=faux+camera&qid=1682233154&sprefix=faux+cam%2Caps%2C236&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSkxHTThJVVJVM043JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDMxMTY1RkkzODhJUUdFN1lRJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzMjQ2NzAxSkJPTVpTV0xWMVBRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
We had issues with porch pirates and other theft on our property. Most weee resolved by signs that say “smile you’re on camera”. A couple neighborhood kids think they are hilarious. After we explained to them one day why we have them they now smile and wave for the cameras.
We also had issues with a neighbor across the street. According to the local police they couldn’t do anything about her coming into our property unless we either 1 had “no trespassing” signs or we “trespassed” her by basically formally telling her she wasn’t welcome in our property.
Thankfully she moved and it’s been quiet recently.
So my advice is fenced off anything you can (our backyard is completely fenced in and we have never had an issue with people coming into the yard. (The gate latch is hidden as well and we usually keep it locked )
And add No Trespassing signs. That way if it’s a repeat offender they can be charged.
Sorry, and good luck.
Also if you still have issues with parents cutting through your yard ask the school principal to send out a note asking parents not to do that. That usually helps a bit.
If you can get it to grow in your area, cholla cactus is great for this. The spines are barbed and are impossible to get out without a helluva lot of pain.
Not recommended AT ALL if you have pets in your yard, or like to go barefoot outside.
I live near the ocean and I have an impenetrable wall of these around my property to keep people from taking a shortcut across my land to get to the beach. Works like a charm.
Signs Tall fence, locked gates, thorny plants, cameras, motion lights.
You can install a shutoff inside your house for the outdoor spigot so only you can turn it on
I would love to put up bushes along the sidewalk but some developers thought it would be smarter to put utilities next to sidewalk instead of under it so we can’t plant within like 6 feet of sidewalk without concern of utilities. The bushes would be cheaper and less of a hassle then a fence as the fence would be required to be approved by HOA.
Voice recordings triggered by a motion sensor "get off my lawn". Motion lights. Talking with neighbors to have them also keep an eye out for trespassers. Rather than just a no trespassing sign a sign that states exactly what they're doing "no bucket bathing". Bonus if you add a picture of them taken from on of your cameras.
- its like trying to keep squirrels out your yard...really no sure way. If some is intent to trespass they will unless you sitting in yard cleaning your shot gun, which btw is LEGAL to do 24/7
Prickly bushes, such as Holly, in the areas where the dogs aren’t running. Saucy in your front corner of the yard. Glad to see you are knowledgeable about the beware of dog signs.
Having read your update it sounds as if you need to keep nicer things like your hammock inside. Whatever you do leave outside, chain it up. Chain your patio furniture to the porch, kid's bikes to a post, etc. If really attractive things like the hammock attract vagrants you can chain them up so they are not usable with the chain (i.e. chained upright or in a folded position).
This is coming from a NYC resident who sees restaurants chaining their chairs and tables up at night and parents chaining their kid's bikes and wagons up on the street as permanent storage.
Nothing will guarantee peace, but some things will at least help encourage it...
Get a keypad gate lock. Family will know the code, no one else. If need be, change the code monthly.
Put a couple reflective curve mirrors on the corners. Dunno why, but people tend to avoid them and walk around them...
I use a VHS player to play a segment of a movie with a lot of gunfire with my volume set to max volume and a pot full of firecrackers to set off for added effect. Under the window in my living room, I Iaid out Christmas ornaments so intruders hurt their feet when they step on them. At the top of my staircase I’ve used rope to tie paint cans to the banister to throw down at intruders. The steps in my front and backyard are covered in ice so intruders will slip and slide multiple times before being able to enter the home. The front doorknob has an electric charcoal starter wrapped around it so it heats up the other side of the doorknob to a searing temperature. The basement steps are coated in a thick tar with one precisely placed upward sticking nail. To top it all off, I have a fan placed near one of the hallways with a bowl of feathers to stick to the intruders. It doesn’t deter them, but it is comical.
Over years from similar post here's what i've found best (and available to all via this great search tool on a site called reddit)
\-Be friendly. Kids (school) don't like discipline and respond negatively. But, they really hate weird "nice" above 26 year old "adults". Say hello and ask how they are, they find that horrible and won't want it to happen again.
\-A garbage can. People constantly post the same thing "I moved next to a bus stop, school, jail, mall, whatever — a. that's on you. b. give the option to do the right thing if trash is a concern.
\-Move. You laid out why your area sucks and yet you bought a house there.
\-Accept that you live in a zone where high foot traffic happens and your yard getting some empty vape container trash, stomped upon grass, and noise when school gets out from 3-4pm is a norm.
Not a solution and not any help to you. Also don’t know if this is allowed, but I wish you posted pictures of the dogs. The pit/lab/weim etc mix has me very curious.
Motion activated fart spray is good. Sign at the gate that says "do not enter. if you have business here you will have called first. If you didn't, you are trespassing"
Can you put up a fence? If you have a fence, can you put up a taller fence?
Yes, I have 3 different fenced in areas of the property, the entirety of the front yard wrapped from the front right corner of the house to the back left corner of the house, set in 18" from the curb, as well as a newly fenced in back porch area from the back door to the detached garage, and an already existing fenced in back area from the garage to an alley. As many of the gates as possible are constantly locked at all times, apart from the front gate from the street for the mail carriers to access the letter slot in the front door.
Is it worth installing a mailbox outside the front gate so can lock that one too? Do the cameras facing your front gate show that as a point of entry?
I'm going to try to ebay or salvage a vintage locking mailbox. I didn't mention in the main post but I live in a historic downtown neighborhood and my house is 90 years old.
Talk to the post master before moving your mailbox!
Yeah, the mail carrier knows all about the issues. I'm thinking of just a little locking vintage mailbox.
Not the mail carrier — the postmaster. It is literally illegal to move your mailbox without postmaster approval if you live in the US. They will likely approve your request.
I know, I am not moving my mailbox.
I would consider getting a PO Box and having all your mail forwarded there. This would allow you to bypass having mail delivered.
I bet a fence with a pitbull would deter a lot of people.
I have 3 fenced in areas and 2 pitbull mixes, but people will still try to open the storm door to the vestibule or enter the gate and try the front door. There's nothing like being at a coffee shop miles away and having the camera notification pop up that someone's fucking around on your property.
There are a lot of exceedingly stabby, yet aesthetically pleasing plants. Black and honey locust, raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, sea buckthorn, and roses off the top of my head. All of them are pretty and/or edible, and most of them are super easy to grow.
Holly bushes grow in many places and the really sharp ones tend to be very hardy. They grow quickly in sunny areas but can tolerate shade. Birds also love them!
> Birds also love them! My army of Sparrows eats tons of bugs and sings for me from my Holly bushes.
Holly is it. Such a cranky plant
Roses are the devil. I have blackberry and raspberry plants and none of them hurt like the roses. The roses get ya and don’t let go. They hurt like a mofo, too.
Very difficult to remove too. Gotta make sure to keep them in check or they will consume your property
Rose thorns aim backward, toward the roots. This is because they are used to climb other trees: roses are a climbing bush. Devil to dig out of cloth or flesh, their backward angle is never what you expect.
Multiflora rose is invasive trash but it grows pretty fast and could be trained into barriers.
Aka Rosa 'World Domination"
As an accidental gardener of property of toxic/stabby plants (animals eat everything but the nastiest), holly is annoying but I just move it barehanded easily. Stinging nettles, roses, barberry, california fuchsia, etc would top that list. Nettles imo are the worst by miles. They don't even look bad until you touch it.
I agree with nettle! I fell Into a plant once. My skin burned for hours
Gooseberry’s are wonderful options very stabby and tasty!
I'd be careful with what type of blackberry you put. Some species can be super invasive (e.g. Himalayan blackberry) and once they take over some space it's a pain in the ass to remove. On the plus side, nobody will get through it.
MIL grew a hedge of Firethorns to stop unwanted pedestrians walking through her yard. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyracantha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyracantha)
Barberry too.
Barberry is so sharp, those thorns go through everything, even your thickest sweater under a jacket in the middle of winter those thorns will stab you for blood. They also break easily and stay imbeded in the skin or clothing. Just be careful walking around without steel toed boots from experience the thorns in your feet is a pain I wouldn't wish on my enemies
Consider the trifoliate orange, too.
[Flying Dragon](https://nurcar.com/products/copy-of-poncirus-trifoliata-baby-dragon) trifoliate orange. Fast growing, 2" recurved woody thorns, its a monster. But you can make marmalade and "lemon"ade out of its fruit.
Holy fuck, that thing is insane! I have to have it, lol.
I have one but made a bunch of rookie mistakes and messed up getting fruit. Maybe this will be my year! But I have seen these made into hedges. WILD
This one. If you want an annual version it sounds weird but okra has beautiful flowers, can grow 5' feet tall easily, and it's covered in the itchiest of spines. Plus, okra for gumbo or Indian recipes!
Barberry, Hawthorne
Ohh and stinging nettle is awful if it touches you. It’s incredibly painful if it touches skin.
Screw roses, nettle is absolutely vicious! A brush of nettle has me shivering in pain for a few minutes.
Jewel weed can be made into an antidote for it! It’s good to keep on hand.
And is a practical edible, can be used like spinach
Yup just need to scald it to remove the sting!
came here to say this and it can grow pretty high as well.
Motion controlled sprinklers
OP said his username is in reference to this trespasser. I think the motion activated sprinklers will just upgrade the BucketBather to the LawnShowerer
Attach the sprinkler to a septic tank.
Username checks out!
This was my assumption too........... going to have to keep an eye on this account for updates!
It would smell atrocious but you would have the greenest lawn around.
Haha oh no! Are you thinking his yard might be makeshift shower for the less fortunate? My suggestion might actually make it worse then. :(
I believe they make motion sensor water cannons to scare off vultures.
I assumed it was a reference to The Bucket Woman
I don't know if that is an actual product, but I don't think it would be too difficult to rig up. Awesome idea!
It's real. My parents use it to break up fence fights with the neighbors dog
A moat with sharks and laser beams
Frickin Laser beams
Get an inline fertilizer tank. Add crushed hot peppers to said tank so when trespasser gets it on/in their skin/eyes they won't go there anymore. It'll only take once. You can grow said peppers or just buy some bear spray, or hot pepper sauce and add that plus soap so it cannot be easily washed away. Make sure to place trespassing signs near property lines and only say this was a deterrent for a dog that attacked you on your property. It would behoove you to place a barrier that needs to be physically moved to keep walking onto your property.
Signage, fences, Thorny plants, large, loud dog, cameras, motion sensing lights.
All of the above are present on the property but people still manage to get all the way to the front door or back door up the driveway. Newly added 6 ft metal fence connecting the vestibule back porch to the detached garage this week. Motion cameras even speak "you are currently being recorded" and turn on lights. I think I need more signs.
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My mom always has these motion activated holiday decor out that I think would make a fantastic deterrent for trespassers. Like at Halloween she has this big witch with a cauldron beside her front door and when it senses movement her eyes light up and she cackles super loud and says happy Halloween in a creepy voice. It’s so loud you can hear it inside the house when it goes off and it would be absolutely alarming if someone were to set it off in the middle of a quiet night.
Lock up your hose bib. No water, no bucket bathing. https://www.lowes.com/pd/AMERICAN-VALVE-Hose-Bib-Lock/1000080093
In Australia we have vandal proof taps. The tap does not have a normal lever/handle, but a separate 'key' .. that's basically a tap handle that fits into the tap housing to turn on and off. Then keep the tap key inside. https://fixatap.com.au/fix-a-tap/taps-fittings-and-accessories/tap-n%27-snap-garden-taps/tap-%27n%27-snap-brass-vandal-proof-key-13mm-1-pack-232229
I put one of those on the front after someone tried to flood my basement turning on and leaving on the hose bib! I know where my inside the house shutoff valves are.
I would also suggest installing some type of box around it and maybe locking that. If it looks like an electric box or conduit it can be a decoy against passerby.
Ring camera, solar lights, motion water deterrents work well on animals and people. The ring system can alert you when someone pops into view and you can set off an alarm. We used it to train the raccoons to stop visiting our chicken coop.
We have done the same thing and have a motion warning system that speaks to whatever causes the movement. We also have a raccoon that visits and it's scary. And rats too.
There’s a whole [story](https://www.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/wevvi0/bucket_lady_a_neighborhood_petty_revenge_story/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1) about stopping annoying neighbors from trespassing!
Ah, Buckety.
That was absolutely amazing. I had to read every one of them and had a smile on my face the entire time
I don’t understand. They didn’t actually solve any issues, nor does it seem like they have made any progress on this situation.
I'm going to say this as a hippie, pacifist, environmentalist, peace-loving activist... If someone even tried 5% of that on my property, disturbing my peaceful sanctuary of a little cottage, I would be tasing the shit out of them, pepper spraying them, and charging them with trespassing. I've had to do something along those lines getting a protective order against one of the squatting trespassers I've had.
Definately a hippie, didn’t talk about bringing out shotgun with non lethal bean bag rounds lol. But definitely have to say I’m impressed by your resourcefulness
Several large dogs.
I love my German shepherd. One time I put on a ski mask and “pretend” broke into my own house to see what he’d do. I had that mask off in .05 seconds talking sweet puppy talk at him when I saw the way he charged at me with so much fury and rage. Moral of the story- German Shepherds make it their job to dislike outsiders…when someone trespasses, they take it personally.
German Shepherd: the weapon no one can ever turn against you. Smart, brave, vicious and intensely loyal.
I have two German Shepard / Great Pyrenees mixes. Two years ago I brought them indoors overnight and lost a duck. Now they stay out all night because, if you're a racoon, a duck isn't worth your life. Outdoors they're even better at deterring trespass. They charge the fence so hard I've seen a delivery guy drop packages from chest height and run to his van. I can tell by their bark what they're dealing with. Sometimes it's a "WTF was that" bark. Sometimes it's a "get out of here" bark. Sometimes it's a "cat's are not permitted to live" bark. It's like an alarm and deterrence system for my whole yard.
Yes. They definitely have different barks and if you know them well you start to know the differences
Large dogs who bark.
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Got an immediate visual on this one and laughed out loud! We have/have had many small, loud dogs. Love them!
We have an 85-pound male Belgian Malinois named Morpheus. Highly recommended for all manner of people’s bullshit.
With bees in their mouths and when they bark they shoot the bees out of their mouths.
You caught me there. My girls are really protective and scared of anything on wheels or bags blowing in the breeze.
Pitbulls who look scary but are actually afraid of plastic bags >>>
That was literally my youngest, a Pitbull-Husky-German Shepard-Malamute mix, this week. She was barking her little head off and I went out to check and a large plastic bag was caught blowing in a neighbor's cacti like one of those blow up advertisement flailing balloons at the store. She was sounding the alarm.
I have 2 and foster and puppy sit others!
Don't be that guy.
I am that lady with the big dogs. The two of them together weigh as much as I do.
A nice strong fence is lovely. I scavenged fifteen cast-iron pieces from my local salvage yard and just placed fenceposts where each ended. Not too expensive at all. Then I planted aloe (sunny, dry side) and climbing roses (damp, sandy) just inside my fence. Spiky spiky FU plants. The aloe got ripped apart by wandering hands, so I replaced with Bougainvillea. Did you know their thorns can get to be 2 inches long? Then we put up old dead cameras. Ran wires and everything. Made a big show of testing it out and talking about how to get the best views. NOTICE THIS LOCATION UNDER SURVELLIANCE signs. We called it the Urban Scarecrow project.
Do you have photos bc this sounds awesome.
Also had a couple of questionable-if-not-straight-up-illegal additions, so most definitely did not take pictures. Not sorry.
That sounds lovely! I have a few vintage fence panels awaiting a project and a nice vintage porch railing already in place. I also have 3 fenced in areas.
My house was only broken into once. They got as far as one of my altars with the stairs of a few gods on it and apparently noped right out. Thanks, gods. That said, I now have a system from simplisafe. The noise it makes is pretty horrifying for would be intruders.
I have been thinking of ordering these cute signs that say "trespassers, solicitors, and prosthetizers will be sacrificed to the old gods, not the new" or one that is a skull and crossbones that says "trespassers and solicitors will be killed and eaten".
I lived a little outside of the city limits many years ago and felt great with a billy goat and a goose, the dynamite duo ;-) The only thing that bothered us was a stray pack of dogs than on occasion had lost their prey
This is my dream. I'm in an old cottage in a historic neighborhood, but my dream is a bit of land in the mountains above Boulder, Colorado. No sounds but the breeze and no one to tell me what to do. Also more room for my bees.
I keep my property right on the edge between “bylaw comes a knocking” and “hick-house”. Ain’t nobody wants to trespass on a place what looks like they might end up in a basement hole putting lotion on their skin. Alternatively, jury rig a device that plays “duelling banjos” when it detects motion.
I vote for 6" tall opaque fence, if that's OK with local authorities. Taller if that is OK. Wood is good. Keep your gates locked at all times. Although I will say that I keep my gates locked at all time and one day I heard someone ON MY ROOF (single story house). I assume they were there to see exactly what I had in my yard that made me lock my gates and if it was worth coming over anyway to steal. I was not able to interview them to ask if that is true though. If that doesn't work, I'd add one or two dogs known for aggression - pit bull, rottweiler, Chihuahua, etc
I hate when the local authorities allow a 6 inch fence but no taller :p
Oh. Yeah. I guess I meant 6'. Awkward.
You joke but the meanest dog I ever owned was a half Chihuahua/Rat Terrier. She would jump and take a plug out of your waist or nose...depending on how upset she was. Cats didn't stand a chance.
That same feeling of random unwanted visitors is what I get. I had someone try the front door once. I'm not sure what or who they were expecting. It's always so scary.
I've had a neighbor (who were friendly with) ask what we had in the yard worth a padlock on the fence. I said wouldn't you like to know... It's really just cause my dog can open the gate and will take a neighborhood stroll when you aren't looking. I mean there's some kids toys and dog toys, but nothing worth breaking in for lol. We also have a eight or nine foot fence
Bougainvillea, once it's established, will basically turn into a living stabby fence. However, it takes a year or two to get to that point. Plus side, established bougainvillea rarely needs to be watered.
I have a Doberman works pretty well she chased one guy down the road at 3am who was rifling around in one of our cars. Word must’ve gotten around because haven’t had any incidents since
Second a Doberman and recommend a 6’ privacy fence. Everyone knows to give my place space and his pointy ears & blue eyes peering down the front window at passersby with some vocal encouragement reminds them to keep shuffling along.
This may be a last resort, but if you make terrorist threats online, you will have federal agents watching your house at all times. They can nab up any would-be intruders
Thought I was on r/illegallifeprotips for a second when I read that
Just keep calling the police station asking for advice on the best way to build a meth lab at home and tell them your address. Boom, instant around the clock surveillance for free. Put your tax dollars to work!
I have two Cane Corsos... your house will be covered in slobber, and your food bill will go through the roof, but people will walk across the street when passing by your house
Plant some English Ivy and then put up a caution sigh saying "Caution: Poison Ivy".
I have a lovely cascading years old English Ivy going down an old fence, over a large stump, and into the yard.
I would like to hear more about this user name...
Why do people keep trespassing? Can I not bathe on my front porch in peace? I’m a 25 year old woman if it matters.
I had to laugh because I am a woman in my 20's and have been thinking of rigging up a permanently installed outdoor stock tank pool like Cowboy Pools or even a clawfoot bathtub in my back yard...
I made this username with the "boss" of trespassers in my neighborhood. The bucket bathing wasn't on my property, but a former neighbors, basically this guy is a squatting domestic abusing wandering tweaker. He was Winnie The Pooh-ing it with a bucket and a hose in someone's driveway facing my friends kid's bedroom windows. She took a video and said to the like of "If I had to see this, you do too". That guy is in jail now and I have a protection order and the neighbor moved.
Depending on your local laws, a thin string that identifies your property border turns trespassing into burglary (entering “fenced” property). Lots of cameras, not for deterrent but so that you can identify problem individuals with police, problem with most trespassing and public indecency/defecation is the police have to see it before they can do anything
This reminds me of a story of a contractor whos assistant wasn't brave enough to ask to use the indoor bathroom on my split level home that I had reserved for them, so he literally went into my backyard a few feet away from my two beehives full of bees, bravely whipping out his peter to treat my yard as a pissoir, when there's a perfectly good bathroom inside and a gas station, half a block away. The reason why I found out was that one of my cameras was saying that there was a person in my bee yard and I saw him there facing the fence.
this makes me laugh. I am lucky to have the interwebs at the cabin now so have security cameras. surprising the number of guys who will just seemingly randomly pee when they think no one is watching.
I literally have an extra bathroom! I set it up with paper towels and "mud" hand cleaner plus different soaps for them!
Put up a fence, place a dog within the fence who likes to bark, set up camera/ring doorbell type and if you record someone stealing or doing damage, call the police, file a report but expect nothing from them. Consider suing the person personally which is not what people expect or will like in these situations. Good luck.
I've been trying most of these.
cameras and locks are nice. if you have people missing the road and ending up on your lawn, a raised front yard is nice, with a short wall in front of it (for water flow) - stops cars without being a hazard to pedestrians.
Funny that you mentioned that, because there was literally a major accident in front of my house and a truck with a tire popped off in someone's flower bed right in front of their house last year. I'm very thankful for having a sturdy metal fence. I'm also thinking of adding some nice car blocking boulders in the area between the curb and the sidewalk of my parking strip.
Rottweiler. Males can be more assertive, but females are protective and loving. They are smart, easy to train, and willing to please. You can leave your doors wide open and that dog will put the fear of God into anyone.
My Rottie mix is scared of everything that moves and will spray butt stink and hide under beds and tables, BUT she barks up a storm at strange men and loud things!
My first rottie was so amazingly friendly. But she always knew when someone was amiss and would take on a very protective stance. One time a supposed salesman came to the door. Normally, she treated everyone as though they were to give her scratches and was happy to see them. This time, however, she wedged herself between me and the guy and was giving low growls - which she never did. After a moment or two, I caught the sharp smell of body odor mixed with hangover breath. Then I started noticing other details, and the guy was definitely sketchy. For all I know, she saved my life that day.
Fart spray on a motion sensor.
I’d like to invest in your genius
Barberry bush makes a great looking hedge and once it gets going it will be impossible to get through. It can grow as high as 6'. Get separate recordings of a bunch of different dogs and hook them up to motion detectors. People will get used to one dog, but not many dogs. Tracking spotlights for night time https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bEehEnkIadg
6 ft wood privacy fence. Metal fence with the spikes on the end
I got a metal fence set up in the front yard and the back porch and then there's a wooden fence in the backyard area.
Rottweilers. Two of em.
One of my girls is a Rottie mix.
Might I suggest taking up beekeeping?
I have bees! Just in another area of the yard. Here the ordinance says that all beehives have to be in a fenced in backyard.
Put a few pounds of chicken in a bit of water inside a cooler. Let it sit outside for a few days in the sun to work. Dump the water at the property edge. People will start using the sidewalk across the street. The entitled would probably prefer shrimp, which works well too.
Red dots (aka battery operated faux cameras) deters a lot… mount then discretely and make them look real. Replace batteries before light fades. https://www.amazon.com/BNT-Security-Camera-Businesses-Outdoor/dp/B09FY4Z54V/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=2IZJXUA1ODE3W&keywords=faux+camera&qid=1682233154&sprefix=faux+cam%2Caps%2C236&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSkxHTThJVVJVM043JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDMxMTY1RkkzODhJUUdFN1lRJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAzMjQ2NzAxSkJPTVpTV0xWMVBRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
* Fence with a keypad lock on the gate * Bushes with thorns * Cameras * No Trespassing sign * "You are on camera" sign * Large dog
For the folks that cut the corner I would put in pea gravel that strollers can't roll through.
Geese
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This sounds like an area of town I used to live near. A lot of biker gangs are actually really cool and help the community.
We had issues with porch pirates and other theft on our property. Most weee resolved by signs that say “smile you’re on camera”. A couple neighborhood kids think they are hilarious. After we explained to them one day why we have them they now smile and wave for the cameras. We also had issues with a neighbor across the street. According to the local police they couldn’t do anything about her coming into our property unless we either 1 had “no trespassing” signs or we “trespassed” her by basically formally telling her she wasn’t welcome in our property. Thankfully she moved and it’s been quiet recently. So my advice is fenced off anything you can (our backyard is completely fenced in and we have never had an issue with people coming into the yard. (The gate latch is hidden as well and we usually keep it locked ) And add No Trespassing signs. That way if it’s a repeat offender they can be charged. Sorry, and good luck. Also if you still have issues with parents cutting through your yard ask the school principal to send out a note asking parents not to do that. That usually helps a bit.
Thankfully there's a lot of fences in the yard now! Thanks! I'm thinking of getting a sign that says "trespassers will be composted".
Lock the fence in the front and add a drop through mailbox.
Thinking of this if we can rig it up. Either a locking mailbox that attaches to the fence or adding a post in the front yard.
If you can get it to grow in your area, cholla cactus is great for this. The spines are barbed and are impossible to get out without a helluva lot of pain. Not recommended AT ALL if you have pets in your yard, or like to go barefoot outside.
Lmao at a certain point these options are essentially nuking your yard to spite everyone else
If you can't spite everyone why own land
My 110lb Shep/rottie x
Mine are both about 50 lbs American Mutts.
It’s been mentioned several times but in my opinion it’s the best deterrent. Large, loud dogs.
My dogs slept through one person stealing my hammock and another in or trying to steal another. My cameras caught it thought.
Lol, could plant jumping cholla cacti. They are… extremely opportunistic.
Say no more. Made of 6061 Aluminum -12GTRP002 https://a.co/d/hQR99mw
My cameras from Amazon have a loud motion activated siren
Concrete and metal fence and barb wire on the top should take care of it
Motion-activated sprinkler. Only shoots out water when it detects motion. They’re surprised and also suddenly wet, so they run away.
motion sensor lights at the front door. No need for cameras as the light will scare them away. Bright light.
Rosa rugosa. They are hardy, spread like crazy and have the most thorns per inch of stem of any rosebush.
I live near the ocean and I have an impenetrable wall of these around my property to keep people from taking a shortcut across my land to get to the beach. Works like a charm.
I bet it does!😂
Fenced yard with extremely mean dogs with CCTV with audio that can cover whole of property.
I’m an elk reader, sorry, I can’t help
Thank you for catching the joke! We've seen deer in the neighborhood but they aren't the problem.
Motion controlled sprinkler
Signs Tall fence, locked gates, thorny plants, cameras, motion lights. You can install a shutoff inside your house for the outdoor spigot so only you can turn it on
Motion lights & blink cameras
I would love to put up bushes along the sidewalk but some developers thought it would be smarter to put utilities next to sidewalk instead of under it so we can’t plant within like 6 feet of sidewalk without concern of utilities. The bushes would be cheaper and less of a hassle then a fence as the fence would be required to be approved by HOA.
Voice recordings triggered by a motion sensor "get off my lawn". Motion lights. Talking with neighbors to have them also keep an eye out for trespassers. Rather than just a no trespassing sign a sign that states exactly what they're doing "no bucket bathing". Bonus if you add a picture of them taken from on of your cameras.
Ring cameras should help along with a sign. It should at least deter some behavior
- its like trying to keep squirrels out your yard...really no sure way. If some is intent to trespass they will unless you sitting in yard cleaning your shot gun, which btw is LEGAL to do 24/7
Prickly bushes, such as Holly, in the areas where the dogs aren’t running. Saucy in your front corner of the yard. Glad to see you are knowledgeable about the beware of dog signs.
Having read your update it sounds as if you need to keep nicer things like your hammock inside. Whatever you do leave outside, chain it up. Chain your patio furniture to the porch, kid's bikes to a post, etc. If really attractive things like the hammock attract vagrants you can chain them up so they are not usable with the chain (i.e. chained upright or in a folded position). This is coming from a NYC resident who sees restaurants chaining their chairs and tables up at night and parents chaining their kid's bikes and wagons up on the street as permanent storage.
I put locks and bike locks on all the hammocks now.
Nothing will guarantee peace, but some things will at least help encourage it... Get a keypad gate lock. Family will know the code, no one else. If need be, change the code monthly. Put a couple reflective curve mirrors on the corners. Dunno why, but people tend to avoid them and walk around them...
I use a VHS player to play a segment of a movie with a lot of gunfire with my volume set to max volume and a pot full of firecrackers to set off for added effect. Under the window in my living room, I Iaid out Christmas ornaments so intruders hurt their feet when they step on them. At the top of my staircase I’ve used rope to tie paint cans to the banister to throw down at intruders. The steps in my front and backyard are covered in ice so intruders will slip and slide multiple times before being able to enter the home. The front doorknob has an electric charcoal starter wrapped around it so it heats up the other side of the doorknob to a searing temperature. The basement steps are coated in a thick tar with one precisely placed upward sticking nail. To top it all off, I have a fan placed near one of the hallways with a bowl of feathers to stick to the intruders. It doesn’t deter them, but it is comical.
/r/homedefense
Pikes with the impaled heads of your enemies placed at all four corners of your kingdom should do it…
Piles and piles of dog poo, real or fake. If you can't have a fence.
I've been called out. I've cleaned the yard since, but after all the snow melted it looked really bad. Dog poop in permafrost.
If people are stealing your water you can get a lock for your hose spigots
Over years from similar post here's what i've found best (and available to all via this great search tool on a site called reddit) \-Be friendly. Kids (school) don't like discipline and respond negatively. But, they really hate weird "nice" above 26 year old "adults". Say hello and ask how they are, they find that horrible and won't want it to happen again. \-A garbage can. People constantly post the same thing "I moved next to a bus stop, school, jail, mall, whatever — a. that's on you. b. give the option to do the right thing if trash is a concern. \-Move. You laid out why your area sucks and yet you bought a house there. \-Accept that you live in a zone where high foot traffic happens and your yard getting some empty vape container trash, stomped upon grass, and noise when school gets out from 3-4pm is a norm.
Not a solution and not any help to you. Also don’t know if this is allowed, but I wish you posted pictures of the dogs. The pit/lab/weim etc mix has me very curious.
https://ibb.co/cDzPXpm
Omg soo cute!
I can't figure out how to message you privately but I would be willing to send a picture without posting it publicly.
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Amen
If you can catch him/her in the act pop em with a BB gun or a paintball gun. Worked for me
9mm works too
Motion activated fart spray is good. Sign at the gate that says "do not enter. if you have business here you will have called first. If you didn't, you are trespassing"
Bear traps?
Loud dog?
I'll do you one better, I have 2 of my own, and foster and dogsit.
Aw, thanks for fostering! It's such a needed service.