My dad has an allotment where he grows strawberries, gooseberries, and cherries, but he's been hit by thieves twice now, with all the fruit stolen! I'm looking for any tips or measures we can take to deter these thieves. I've considered getting a fruit cage, but I'm not sure if they mainly keep animals out rather than people. I'm open to ideas like netting or cages that can be secured. Any advice on how to keep his plants safe would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
If you have power at the site, installing a security camera could help a lot. You can get SD card cameras that don't require internet access. It's a techie solution, but it keeps your plants monitored without ongoing costs. Seeing who or what is taking your fruits is key to figuring out the right defense!
Don’t forget to consider the possibility of animals! Last year, we thought someone was stealing our strawberries, but it turned out to be a sneaky mouse! If you're dealing with smaller critters, netting might not cut it. Maybe consider building a proper cage that can be secured. Also, elevating the plants or adding some chilli powder around them could discourage tampering!
First off, if you haven't netted your fruits, that's a must-do! Birds can be a real issue. After securing your crops, I'd suggest setting up a trail camera. They're affordable and really good for monitoring any activity. Also, consider putting up signs claiming 'CCTV in operation' around the allotment. It's a low-cost deterrent that might just keep thieves away!
That's a solid idea! I think a lot of thefts on allotments turn out to be from wildlife rather than humans.
That's interesting! I figured it had to be people since someone reportedly saw them stealing, but now I’m curious about the animals too! Any tips on how to build a robust enough cage would be great.