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Arrgh! Thiefs!

MrFlyTrap2

OMG h8 pings
People keep walking away with my plants, and I need to figure out how to keep that from happening. The only option I can think of at this point is to put a security kit on each pot. It's going to be expensive, and look bad, but I can't keep having plants walk away, nor can I place them anywhere else.

Catching the people won't help either, I have to many random people coming and going out of the building that there will be a new one ever 2 days.

Anyone ever have to setup a public outdoor display that dealt with this issue before?
 
1st way:
catch a few people and hold them somewhere with the cop's for like an hour or so just make them stay there very long so other people see that it's not easy to just pick one up and go, try this and i'll think it'll decrease the number of theft's ;)

2nd way:
try putting Chicken wire around you're plant's or put them in a container or a small box where the base is stuck but the plant's hang outside the chickenwire

security system is expensive indeed.
but if i am to reply an answer like i always do!
mutate a plant to let it walk and eat any thief!!!

i recommend asking the police to patrol a bit more often near you're shop (don't know if it's in the centre of town or not)

hope these help :)
 
Dang, that sucks... what did they take? I know a grower who has like 3 infrared cameras recording his property because of unscrupulous jerks. Of course, if you don't know who the people are, recording them might not help too much, but it would let you remotely monitor your stuff.

Daniel
 
chicken wire with poison ivy
 
Realistically you could do a web cam(a few) setup then stream it to your computer(you'll need alota HD space).
Then have signs saying this is monitored 24/7 with night vision(us some IR leds or a nigh vision camera like $40). You could take the pots place them on tables charge the tables by placing the pots on tin foil use an electric fence charger then use the moist ground as your chargers ground. I dunno if it would work legally and realistically but there would be tons of angry shocked people. You could do screen boxes it wouldn't physically prevent them but is a deterant.
 
Have some flat roof space?

Stolen stuff sucks. It is no fun being a victim, I know, trust me.
 
Oh and you live in Illinois and they have that law that you can't attack ("in self defense") someone until they come in your house, so they are free to roam around on your property, sorry.

When you start growing plants on your roof the thieves have won, you are letting them those lowlife thieves dictate where you are going to grow your plants. I say get a camera or an electric fence.
Or a dummy camera and post signs that say this property is monitored by (company with a number that you can call anytime, day or night)
And post fliers saying plants stolen in unique tiki pot the people growing the stolen plants will never be able to provide full sun without getting caught. That is unless they switch pots but I bet they stole the pot and the plants came with it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mark all the pots and do dummy cams for sure.
 
I grow a lot of miniature succulents. Last summer, a bunch of them dissappeared overnight out of their pots. This spring, I found a chipmunk burrow under my growing bench, so I think I know who the culprit is.
I've never had my plants stolen by a human, though.
 
  • #10
I had the same problem in my greenhouse. People were coming in and stealing stuff at night. I ended up putting a hawthorn right in front of the door as I left and took some of those landscape staples and upturned them in the walk way in between the cinderblocks. About a week after setting up the greenhouse, I awoke one morning to find a foot-sized section of land scape staples missing in one spot and sitting on the ground a few feet away.

Haven't had a problem since.
-J.P.
 
  • #11
Easy. Catch one person and make an example out of that person. Years ago, I had a boy sneak over my 6 foot tall fence, and steal some plants and other things. I sued his parents.
I also scared the **** out of him with my AK-47.
 
  • #12
Easy. Catch one person and make an example out of that person. Years ago, I had a boy sneak over my 6 foot tall fence, and steal some plants and other things. I sued his parents.
I also scared the **** out of him with my AK-47.

Believe me, I haven't been to Ozzy's house since.

xvart.
 
  • #13
AK-47:0o: .........Is it ok to carry asult weapons in your state????????!!!!!!!!
 
  • #14
Oh no!!! The only thing worse than bringing the bible into a discussion here is to call something an assault weapon. Let's hope Rattler and a few others are away for a few days.

As for plant thieves, you do what you have to do. Most of my CPs spend the summer within a few feet of the sidewalk, with no protection by fence, security system or weapon that is similar in name or appearance to a fully automatic firearm. I stole that description from Wikipedia, by the way, and I'm glad Wikipedia doesn't guard its property with one. My CPs live within reach of the sidewalk because it's one of the few sunny spots available for them.

If I lived a mile east of here, I would have lost many or all of those plants to thieves if I made taking them so easy. I'd either not have them or I'd keep them in a safer location. Growing plants on a roof isn't a bad option and I've often thought about building a growing area on the garage because it gets so much sun. Although I was think of a place for potted fig trees more than for CPs.
 
  • #15
chicken wire with poison ivy

Lol. You wouldn't believe the number of people around here who are immune to that stuff.

I'd say 9/10 people aren't affected.
 
  • #16
I also scared the **** out of him with my AK-47.

Lol that's freaking awesome. That would be great if you just jumped out of the bushes all obscene-like with night vision, kevlar, and an AK 47. I wish cali didn't have their lame gun laws. Of course, as far as scaring would-be-thieves away, any gun would work.

Mark.ca, many states other than CA allow AK's and a slew of other sweet rifles. They are only dubbed assault rifles in the states that don't allow them because it helps with public support. Also, the bank robbery in LA by two AK-47 wielding clowns didn't exactly help their image when the cops got overwhelmed by two guys. Back in the early 90's though, you could buy a mac-10 or a an AK 47 in CA. If I recall correctly too, the machine gun ban had expired for a short time as well and you could buy factory machine guns. Now, you can still buy a machine gun, but they are no longer being produced for civilian purchase, so the price will only go up from here (think 20,000$ +).


Anywho, that sucks to hear Mr. Flytrap. I had always thought that you grew your plants inside a shed or something? Couldn't it be locked? Or do you also have more plants outside? Anywho, placing cameras that are visible to those walking by, is a deterrent nonetheless, regardless of whether you're watching or recording. This is why places like Wal-Mart and Target have many more fake camera domes than real ones. As a deterrent.
 
  • #17
Back in the early 90's though, you could buy a mac-10 or a an AK 47 in CA. If I recall correctly too, the machine gun ban had expired for a short time as well and you could buy factory machine guns.

you havent been able to buy a new machine gun since the mid 80's since then you can only buy machine guns that were made before the 1986........only law enforcement and military can have full auto rifles made after 1986.....all full auto rifles bought and sold since 1986 in the private sector are "used" unless you find a never before fired one in which case you will really be paying $$$

BTW there are plenty of AK clones out there that work no different than some hunting rifles....one pull of the trigger equals one bullet fired.......they look different from hunting rifles sure but for all intents and purposes they function EXACTLY the same.......so idiotic states are banning rifles based on how they look and not how they function.....which is pure stupidity....

ive got no interest in any fully auto rifle or pistol.....all they are good for is burning through $$ everytime you pull the trigger......besides in a SHTF scenario given the country i live in a bolt gun that can reach out and touch someone at a quarter or half mile is more useful than a rifle that shoots 500 plus rounds a minute and is only good out to maybe 300 yards..........wide open land we have plenty off...."close combat" type areas are few and far between......but if a law abiding citizen wants to pay to feed a full auto i say have fun, aint to worried bout them hurting anything but their pocket book........
 
  • #18
.they look different from hunting rifles sure but for all intents and purposes they function EXACTLY the same.......so idiotic states are banning rifles based on how they look and not how they function.....which is pure stupidity....

Sorry to disagree with you rattler, but they are not the same. The most obvious difference is appearance. Most "assault" rifles have a cooler looking stock. Appearance have no effect on power, performance, or range. As for take down power, most hunting rifles are way more powerful than most assault rifles. If I was attacked by a bear and I defended myself with my ak, I would have to unload the clip and hope that the ten bullets are enough to stop the bear. I'm sure rattler has a hunting rifle that will put it down in one shot.

Just say I wanted to hide and shoot people from a distance. Like the DC snipers did. I could buy the best scopes available and mount them to my ak. If they are over 150 yards I'll have a low hit rate. I bet Rattler can have close to a 100% kill rate with any of his hunting rifles using the cheapest scopes.

Even with the best scopes I will only hit a few targets at over 150 yards, I bet Rattle can pick off targets at over 2000 yards.

I may not have my numbers all right but I think I effectively showed that you are wrong Rattler in your statement that hunting rifles and assault rifles are the same. I could have the best assault rifle ever made, and I know that you would still outshoot me in every category. There is one category I would probably win, I would look more threatening holding my AK then Rattler would holding his hunting rifles. But he could do more damage.

See so don't try to ban my assault rifles, ban rattlers hunting rifle. LOL

Only exception I can think of is the Barret 50cal, but trust me nobody will ever sneak that rifle into a school.
 
  • #19
Ozzy....i know plenty of ppl that hunt with bolt action 223's, 22-250's and lever 250 Sav's and 30-30's all of which are in the same power class as your AK assuming its a 47 and not a 74....accuracy and bullet design trump power anyday.....granted if the quarry is something that can bite back such as bear i would want something moe powerful but i know an individual who hunts big black bear on the Alaskan coast with a lowly 223 even though coastal griz are around......

functionally your AK is no different than any of the 60 year old Remington semiauto hunting rifles, the parts may be different but they operate on the same basic principles....i also know of some sporting rifles based on a slightly larger AK reciever...they look like a semi auto AK, they function like your AK but they are setup for hunting........

as far me out doing you with a bolt while you have a semi auto.....remember the longest sniper kill is credited to a semi-auto.......FN-FAL's, AR-15's, M1A1's all hold accuracy records, some while competing head to head with bolt guns.........in theory its far easier to make an accurate AR-15 than an accurate bolt action hunting rifle......
 
  • #20
Have some flat roof space?

I was wondering the same thing Nathan. What about a fenced in back yard or just putting up a privacy fence or hedge in the front yard? If you know people are still trying to steal, you should definetly move your plants so they won't be tempted. Out of sight, out of mind. :)
 
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