Tree Thefts

[tooln]

Take your best looking tree most likely to be taken and booby trap it. Trip wires, boards with nails. Endless options.

 

[bueller]

I think painting the street side of the trees on Dec. 1st would alleviate your X-Mas shoppers. From the looks of it your trees should be big enough in just a couple more years that this problem may go away on its own then. But it also looks like you are more than a few years away from a true screen at the spacing you have.

 

[Max]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I will definitely be spraying them with food coloring and lime. I used to make fish oil from carp I shot bowfishing as a kid for trapping. Looks like I need to get back into bowfishing next summer and a put fish oil in each tree with a Victor #3 leghold trap. I figure I won't get in any trouble for someone loosing a finger since it would be a coyote set and not a booby trap

 

[H20fwler]

I agree with the posting it up good too. Hide a couple cheap cameras around that can help you monitor it. Catch one tree thief trespasser and make a good example of them.
For a privacy strip I would plant in a stagger and closer together so that in a few years you have a wall of green blocking the view. I wouldn't mow it at all either and let weeds grow up or plant some switch or other tall grass around them.

The trailer trash around here will even top off a tree in someone's landscaping every now and then, when one of them gets caught for it the Christmas tree rustling settles down for a while.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Agree with H20 ^^^. Even bigger trees get top-chopped for Christmas trees. Thievery knows no bounds.

For a screen - as stated above , plant 2 rows and stagger the trees so there are no gaps.