What would you do if you believe one of your neighbor's children are constantly vandalizing your garden?

Question

ie breaking my garden ornaments and crushing my collection of seashells that I use to decorate my garden...I know it has to be one of the neighborhood children as I live on an out of the way street with no traffic unless you live there....this keeps happening every year and is very upsetting. Last year I called the police and asked them to speak with the children on the street. I'm not sure if they followed through or not....

Answer 1

You can't really accuse until you are certain. The best thing to do is to put in a motion detector video camera. It may be innocent, they may be running in there afte a ball or something. Once you have evidence you can talk to the neighbor and ask them to work with the kids.
Its always best to try to talk to the neighbor first, they may be horrified and will appreciate you being open wiht them.

If that doesn't work, call the cops and explain. Get the parents to pay for the damage. Problem then is that you now have an enemyon the block

Answer 2

You will need to install light fixtues that will light up the area. You can get ones with a motion detector. It would also be helpful to have a video camera installed tied into a video recorder.

This is a lot of expense, but it is about all you can do, other than seeing them do it and having a witness see them too.
If you get the equipment set up and the kids vandalize your garden again, then call the police and show them the video. Make the parents restore the garden or pay the cost of repairs by professionals.

It is a hard thing to accuse a kid of doing something, without seeing them. The parents will always protect their kids and deny that it was their kids that did it. So that is why you need to have the video to prove it. Then they can't deny it. Once the police get involved, the parents will be forced to do something.

good luck.

Answer 3

You can get anti-climb paint like Vandalene - its very expensive but never dries out so anyone touching it gets their hands covered in bright red, sticky paint. A cheaper option is anything foul.

Maybe just a halogen security light would do it - people don't feel so brave when they are lit up like a star on stage.

I know some people tack chickenwire just inside tall garden fences or string it through perimeter bushes, so only an intruder would cut their hands.

Personally if you can't afford (or don't want) motion sensors, security lights or CCTV then I prefer the idea of making them sticky and dirty (and smelly) instead of actually wounding the little blighters. But only just.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

i'm Brazilian and that i do no longer communicate English properly. right here in Brazil we've a narrative of a woodcutter that lost the awl, he began think of that the neighbor if it kind of feels with an awl thief. He behaved as an awl thief. The woodcutter grow to be precise that his neighbor grow to be an awl thief. while woodcutter's son arrived happy domicile exhibiting to the father that for the 1st time had caught the woodcutter's awl and long gone to the wooded area to shrink tree. The woodcutter understood that the neighbor had no longer stolen the awl and surely the neighbor did no longer seem an awl thief. learn the opportunity of a few toddler that would not stay so close to have been doing of your returned backyard an exploration container and communicate with at the same time with your neighbor and ask to him that watches your place considering you think that some mischievous toddler is making mess on your returned backyard.

Answer 5

I don't know if this would be legal in your area (the law would need to prove intent) or ethical for you, but you could try planting poison ivy. Then you'd be able to recognize the culprits and decide how to handle it from there. I grow it, but for the exact opposite reason, to educate area parents and there kids as to what it looks likes. You would be amazed how many people have no idea what it looks like. It seems these days if you "collar" one of the little buggers to get there name and talk to there parents, the parents will call the cops on you for assault or tell you it couldn't be there little angel's and mind your own business. This is funny in a way, I "answer" a lot of questions giving advice on keeping four legged critters out of the garden, but this is the first time for the two legged variety and it saddens me. RScott

Answer 6

I would set up a camera to "catch the culprit".... then take action on them. Or if that isn't a possibility for you, paint a sign and put it up asking them to please quit breaking your stuff... Or put a sign up saying there is a surveillance camera set up on the garden so they will be scared from doing it. Maybe that will make them think about it before they do it. And if all else fails, you might have to put up a fence.

Answer 7

If you don't want to spend the money on motion sensing cameras. They make a motion sensing hose attachment that you attach to your garden hose. It wont hurt the kids but it will make them wet.
And then their parents may want to know why.
And if you hook up a garden sprayer with some food coloring in it, to the sensor hose you'll know by the kids running around the hood with colored skin. LOL

Answer 8

Video camera and then press charges no matter who was causing the problems. Thne follow with a civil lawsuit for damages. That will wake people up.

Answer 9

The suggestions to video tape are good!
I was thinking of fencing, or planting barberry bushes - very prickery - around the area. Or get a big, mean-looking dog! Lots of mousetraps hiding in the shells might be effective too. ha ha :o) Good luck!

Answer 10

Yes the police did speak with them most likely. It's there job.

Regarding the kids. Set up a camera. film them and sue their parents.

Best to hurt them in the pocket book to make them stop.