Yard Security – Hardening the target.

Yard Security
– Hardening The Target

Why Yard Security Is Important.

Good home security is more than burglar alarms, security cameras and
good locks.

It is a whole chain of measures that you take to harden up
your home.

Everything
that you do to make your home unattractive to burglars reduces the
chances they will choose your property as a target.

A burglar will take many things into account when deciding whether a home will make a good target.

Paying good attention to the perimeter of your home is one security measure you can take that may help him to decide to leave it alone.

Yard Security Landscaping.

Lawn care and general gardening care is important. An uncared for
lawn can give the impression that the owners are away, perhaps on Vacation.

You may think that a burglar seeing a home with an
uncut lawn and generally untidy yard, would conclude that there is not
much worth stealing at that address.

Wrong. The thief is more likely to
think that if the owner does not pay too much attention to the garden, then they are not likely to give too much attention to the security of the
home.

A big part of yard security is mowing your lawn regularly and making your home look cared for and loved.

house and garden
A nicely landscaped garden, but for good yard security those bushes by the house need to be trimmed down.

nicely landscaped garden
A nicely landscaped garden, but for good yard security those bushes by the house need to be trimmed down.

When you do leave on vacation arrange for a trusted neighbor to keep
your lawn cut and your yard tidy. (There is a lot more your neighbor can
do while you are away- Burglary Prevention. )

Large
bushes and trees can be a big plus in the eyes of a burglar because they provide cover and that’s what he wants.

To some
of us large shrubs and tall hedges are things of beauty, but when they
obscure any clear vision to your home they become very much a security no-no.

The view of your house, from both the front and rear should be unobstructed.

Burglars do not like to be observed.

The more chance there is of him being seen the more chance there is that he will leave your home alone.

Trim down any large bushes in front of your home to a height of no more
than three feet.

Consider removing obscuring trees and in any case, saw
off branches near your house that are below eight feet.
Don’t give the burglar an easy climb to upper windows.

Thorny plants can be your friend. Consider planting thorny rose
bushes and other prickly plants underneath your windows. They should not
of course, be allowed to grow too high, but rather planted wide enough
to discourage a thief from working on your windows.

Sure, a
prowler can wear thick clothing to give him some protection. But most
will not be prepared.

Given a choice, a burglar would rather not get
himself scratched and tangled in a rose bush. He would sooner look for a
softer target.

Planting thorny bushes in the right places is a small
yard security measure, but many small measures mean that your home is
not an attractive target to criminals.

Walls And Fences.

In relation to an unobstructed view of your home, think about your yard fencing.

Are fences and walls good for yard security?

“Sure
walls are good”, you may answer, “they stop people just walking right
on to your property right?” Yes, a wall, fence or hedge does provide a
barrier, even if only a psychological one. . . but walls can be climbed.

Again
you may answer . . .”So the higher the wall, the harder it is to climb,
the better the security it provides.”

Not necessarily, if a thief
does manage to get over a high, solid fence, he is shielded by that very
fence. He can work unseen.

Much better, is a fence that can be
seen through, such as a picket fence. It still provides that barrier but
also gives passers by and your neighbors, a chance to spot someone
attempting to break into your house.

Lock It Away.

You don’t want to leave a ladder laying around in your yard waiting for a burglar to make use of it.

 roses climbing a fence
Consider planting thorny rose bushes and other prickly plants underneath your windows.

If you can’t store your ladder in a locked shed or garage, then securely chain and lock it to something solid.

But what about those gardening tools? Spades, forks, rakes etc, can all be used to gain unlawful access to your home.

Don’t
take chances, lock away after each use anything that could be used by a
criminal. Don’t do it later – you’ll forget, do it right away.

Yard Security Signs.

Will a security sign put a burglar off targeting your home? It just might if it looks authentic.

Not the most robust of home security measures, but Home Security Stickers or Signs may put off the inexperienced opportunity burglar. Best used of course, when you do actually have a Security System guarding your home.

Yard Security Lighting.

It is a fact that most home burglaries are committed during daylight
hours. Burglars choose the times that you are not likely to be at home.

However,
nighttime break-ins still happen, especially if the burglar thinks you
are out for the evening. A dark yard is inviting to a criminal, he can
creep across it without much chance of being spotted.

Yard security
lighting is pretty much a necessity, but lighting that is on all the
time can be hard to live with. Consider Motion Activated Lighting for your yard.



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Yard Security.

Garden Theft.

Each year insurance companies receive thousands of claims for loss from
gardens; this shows how worthwhile garden theft is for felons. Don’t be
part of the statistics, protect your garden. . .