# Garden Theft



## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

Not sure if this fits here, but our garden was raided. I hadn't gone out to pick peppers and tomatos in about a week. Thinking today I would have a bounty to get...I was so wrong!!! Our Jalapeno's and green Chilies were picked clean. Our tomatos were also almost wiped out. I am so mad right now! 

We have a game cam, but surely they won't be back for awhile and I am afraid that the inferred flash will alert them and they will just take the cam along with whatever eles they feel is there for the taking.

I know it's not critters, we only have deer to deal with and we spray for them. plus they only seem to take bites of stuff, not fully clean a plant of vegies and not eat the leaves.

ok end of rant!!!


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

ugh!
I have hornworms and a woodchuck I'm battling at the moment....


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

How far are you away from "neighbors"? Do any of them know of your garden? This is just the pits. And things are not even totally horrible yet.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm sorry. That would be really frustrating.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

I had a city dwelling friend stop by - I was busy with the hay so could only chat for a little while - He wanted to know if he could have some tomatoes and peppers - I said sure but you'll have to help yourself, I've got to get this done before dark. Well, next morning I went out to water and all my plants had been completely stripped - the pepper plants were broken down and some of the produce just laying on the ground - If it had a spot of sunburn or something on it he just threw it on the ground. 
Now no one but me goes in my garden.


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## julieq (Oct 12, 2008)

I'm so very sorry that happened to you! Our garden is in the front of our property, so not likely to be raided, but I would be really mad if it was. It's so much work each year, that's just the pits.  ((hugs))


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Badger said:


> I had a city dwelling friend stop by - I was busy with the hay so could only chat for a little while - He wanted to know if he could have some tomatoes and peppers - I said sure but you'll have to help yourself, I've got to get this done before dark. Well, next morning I went out to water and all my plants had been completely stripped - the pepper plants were broken down and some of the produce just laying on the ground - If it had a spot of sunburn or something on it he just threw it on the ground.
> Now no one but me goes in my garden.


Oh brother! What nerve. Did you talk to him after that? I do understand no one going into the garden after that.


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

When I hear this kind of stuff, I always really hope there is something to the whole karma deal.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

silverseeds said:


> When I hear this kind of stuff, I always really hope there is something to the whole karma deal.


Me too


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

AngieM2 said:


> Did you talk to him after that?


We had a little chat - he hasn't come back - unfortunatly he spread the word about what a "jerk" I was about a few peppers and tomatoes - ( by the way it was about 4 bushels) . I always try to send some stuff home with visitors, after all it's a long way out here.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm so sorry that someone stole all your produce Merks! That really stinks!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

I would be so mad I couldn't see straight. Somebody succombing to temptation and helping themselves to a couple tomatoes or something, especially children, you could almost understand. But cleaning out your whole crop after you did all the work, that was a low blow.


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

AngieM2 said:


> How far are you away from "neighbors"? Do any of them know of your garden? This is just the pits. And things are not even totally horrible yet.


I live in town a small town of about 2000, an ally in the back. But dang I am just so mad!! All the work and water put into growing these and now they are just gone. Picked enough tomatos for about 6 quarts, after not picking for a week I should have had enough for about 20. Peppers well found 3 to make some salsa for tonight. Really I just can't believe it. We are always willing to give some of what we grow. Just ask and it is yours.


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

I think I'd put an editorial in the local paper. I know it's probably naive, but shame can be a powerful motivator, especially in small towns.

Moldy


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Merks said:


> I live in town a small town of about 2000, an ally in the back. But dang I am just so mad!! All the work and water put into growing these and now they are just gone. Picked enough tomatos for about 6 quarts, after not picking for a week I should have had enough for about 20. Peppers well found 3 to make some salsa for tonight. Really I just can't believe it. We are always willing to give some of what we grow. Just ask and it is yours.


I was going to ask if you had a 'steal me' sign on your garden... out in view of the highway... then I see your in town. My condolences. Now that you've fed the leeches once, I imagine they'll be hoping you grow them some more.

I'd recommend investing in some ghost pepper plants and a lot of habaneros... they say the scoville on ghost peppers are wicked...


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## silverseeds (Apr 28, 2012)

speaking of planting deterrents, planting something tall and pointy between the garden and the alley or wherever they likely came through might help.


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## janetn (Apr 26, 2012)

Friend of mine lives in the big city and has a large garden and a beautiful eatable landscaped yard. She got really tired of the two legged thieves and vandals. She solved her problem with a hedge of posion ivy and oak. The thieves somehow just never came back after once. Garden is safe and sound now:happy2:


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

silverseeds said:


> speaking of planting deterrents, planting something tall and pointy between the garden and the alley or wherever they likely came through might help.


How about a nettle border?? they are good eating, but they wont know that


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## sipreanna (Sep 22, 2008)

That is so frustrating! We put out a roadside farmstand last week...the first day someone took a bag of yellow beans and left us 1/2 of the asking price...the second day someone cleaned out my green beans and took a dollar out of the honesty jar. I am quickly losing faith in people, but at least I still have my produce. If somone were in my garden stealing food I think I'd probably flip my lid. I hope you can figure it out and put a stop to it.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

Merks- so sorry to hear about this. We garden, so of course I know how much work you must have put into growing yours. I like the idea of planting stinging nettles as a possible deterrent. Won't help you now, but might in the future.


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## Rocktown Gal (Feb 19, 2008)

So sorry this happened. So frustrating after all the work that one puts into a garden and like Angie said things aren't eve bad yet. Oh brother.


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## MJsLady (Aug 16, 2006)

rancher1913 said:


> I think I'd put an editorial in the local paper. I know it's probably naive, but shame can be a powerful motivator, especially in small towns.
> 
> Moldy


It might also motivate others who have had the same thing happen to band together and find a way to if not prevent at least stem the tide some.

One of the farmers Market sellers out here had some one at night place a sign outside her garden saying "Free Produce" It was kind of hidden and not visible from her home.

I went by to buy something from her and she told me of the thefts. As I left by a different way I saw the sign and went back and told her.


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## trulytricia (Oct 11, 2002)

Sorry this happened. Very troubling!. Makes me wonder if a person should plant a wicked fence of blackberries around a garden, they are miserable to walk through.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I just can't understand the pathetic person who could steal someone's food. Geesh. 
I totally sympathize with your loss.


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## scooter (Mar 31, 2008)

On another forum that I belong to a lady was telling about coming home and finding a lady and her little girl where her squash plants were. The little girl had picked all the pretty, yellow flowers. I imagine had it been me, there would have been a lot of screaming going on at that mother.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

I'm so sorry you got your garden raided. But be on the lookout for them to come back to steal more. 
Put up the camera and maybe get one of the driveway warning laser things, add bright lights in the garden, put your dog there or borrow a dog from someone, string up a fence with barb wire strands about a foot apart. 
I'm sure you can think of some way to keep those lowlifes out of your garden.


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## Sam Boggs (Feb 3, 2011)

Stealing is only going to get worse, my wife and I bought a 2'x2' indoor hydrophonics because of this.
Sam


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## coup (Feb 28, 2007)

years ago a great uncle had a big watermelon patch and someone started stealing them....my uncle posted a sign saying one melon is poisioned,,,,a couple days later there was a new sign saying now there is two poisioned.......


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

coup said:


> years ago a great uncle had a big watermelon patch and someone started stealing them....my uncle posted a sign saying one melon is poisioned,,,,a couple days later there was a new sign saying now there is two poisioned.......


LOL Dh told me a story like that a long time ago from when he was a kid.

Planting thorny vines and such would work fine except for the fact that we have a access gate to the ally, I could lock it but then I am sure they would just climb over it. It's only 4 ft tall. I think I will be writing a letter to the editor though. I am going to see if I cover up the inferred flash if the camera will still take good enough pics. mabye I can get the ladder and put it up on the roof or something like that. Thanks for all the ideas, I sure hope something will stop them.


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

We have a driveway sensor by our garden to alert us if someone is going down our farm drive. The other night it was going off every few minutes. My DS (16) decided he was going to see what was going on and headed out. He found my pea patch full of deer. They would walk by the sensor and set it off but we could not see them from our house because my okra is so tall.


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

At least the 4 legged thieves you can shoot legally a little later in the year!!

Moldy


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

S.s.s.

..............


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

NickieL said:


> S.s.s.
> 
> ..............



LMAO!!!! Not sure that works the same way for 2 legged thieves.


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## katydidagain (Jun 11, 2004)

Garden theft isn't new. In the early 80s I planted 1 of those fruit cocktail trees with prunus varieties in my little city plot. I babied it for the 1st year; the 2nd year the 17 year locusts ate out all of the grafts. The tree was there; what would it produce? I waited another year or so and discovered that it was a peach tree. I watched them getting bigger and bigger--these were baseball sized. I watched it like a hawk waiting for the perfect time to pick the 2 bushels it had produced. 

Except 1 day I happened to look out and they were all gone. 

Luckily I saw the thief strolling out of my yard struggling to carry 2 pillow caes bulging with "his" bounty. So I chased him down and told him to give them back. He had the gaul to tell me they were free; I assured him they were not. 

We discussed the matter for a few minutes and I ended up with my peaches.

Sadly, that was the only year the tree produced. The water company set up temporary lines in my backyard that winter that leaked. I called them repeatedly and told them they were drowning my plants; they did nothing. They ended up paying me $800 for my tree they killed.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

Merks said:


> LMAO!!!! Not sure that works the same way for 2 legged thieves.


It might in my garden....:whistlin::whistlin::whistlin:IT MIGHT...

just so you folks know....who are eyeballin' my garden lol


:trollface


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

You need a row of honey locust trees around your garden. Bet no one would raid it then. We have one we would like cut but the thorns are so evil I'm afraid it will fall where we don't want it and put punchures in our lawn mower tires.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I'm in the process of planting holly and shrub roses around my exposed garden. I plant stuff in it that most people won't eat. And the critters have seen to it that there isn't anything there worth taking.

Next year the fenced garden will be in use again. That one is invisible from the front and inaccessible from the back


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

This happened to me last year. Found out the older couple next door were taking the tomatoes and peppers and making spaghetti sauce with it. They had just taken in their 4 year old grandson who has some issues and they really didn't have the money to raise him. It was heart breaking to have that conversation. I told them this year they can have some, but I want the majority of tomaotes. Thankfully the kids dad has started to pitch in some money and they're making ends meet.....and I had my kids go out and pick almost every morning.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

beaglebiz said:


> How about a nettle border?? they are good eating, but they wont know that


Bull nettles? Sting like the dickens... and yet, doesn't bother folks with high levels of drugs in their bodies. My grandpa caught a stoner and his gf in his melon field once, stealing melons... he apologized and offered to pay... my grandpa wouldn't take any money... he did ask him about their legs all red and blistered... they looked down and 'noticed' them... they'd been walking through the stinging bull nettles and didn't really 'notice' it.............


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I had a bear that comes by at the end of the year to raid my garden. But since you don't have bears in CO it must be people.


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## fishinshawn (Nov 8, 2010)

Merks said:


> Not sure if this fits here, but our garden was raided. I hadn't gone out to pick peppers and tomatos in about a week. Thinking today I would have a bounty to get...I was so wrong!!! Our Jalapeno's and green Chilies were picked clean. Our tomatos were also almost wiped out. I am so mad right now!
> 
> We have a game cam, but surely they won't be back for awhile and I am afraid that the inferred flash will alert them and they will just take the cam along with whatever eles they feel is there for the taking.
> 
> ...


Sounds like the work of a racoon to me. I had those dang things rip all the fruit out of a tree in 2 nights.


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

Humans can be so awful! One of the beekeepers on a forum I visit had his hives stolen. That's some serious money there! 

Maybe your neighbors could keep a lookout... Unless it was them that did it.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

KnowOneSpecial said:


> This happened to me last year. Found out the older couple next door were taking the tomatoes and peppers and making spaghetti sauce with it. They had just taken in their 4 year old grandson who has some issues and they really didn't have the money to raise him. It was heart breaking to have that conversation. I told them this year they can have some, but I want the majority of tomaotes. Thankfully the kids dad has started to pitch in some money and they're making ends meet.....and I had my kids go out and pick almost every morning.


Maybe you could help them put a garden in next year...start a couple extra plants...teach them about compost...loan them some equipment


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

Old Vet said:


> I had a bear that comes by at the end of the year to raid my garden. But since you don't have bears in CO it must be people.


I am assuming your being sarcastic, as it's well known there are bears in CO. There have been a couple seen in past years just on the edge of town. None for a couple of years now. I say that its human because the plants are not damaged in any way, just picked clean.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

beaglebiz said:


> How about a nettle border?? they are good eating, but they wont know that



Plant pyracantha bushes. Not only are they a really pretty bush, and birds like the berries, but they have 2-3" long razor sharp thorns. Anybody that wades into them, you can follow the blood trail back to where they live ! :happy2:


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## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

I had pyracantha bushes planted like hedges around a house I used to live in and was very sure I would never have to worry about break-ins through any windows! I had forgot all about them. I think they are really kind of pretty in the winter with all the berries.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

TnAndy said:


> Plant pyracantha bushes. Not only are they a really pretty bush, and birds like the berries, but they have 2-3" long razor sharp thorns. Anybody that wades into them, you can follow the blood trail back to where they live ! :happy2:


:umno:
A large batch of pyracantha In our yard when I was a kid..I found out i could get inside of it by being slow and careful..Great place to hide when I wanted to disappear, no one ever found me!:happy2:


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

So sorry your garden was robbed. I know the sickening feeling to go to pick produce you have worked hard for and find it has been stolen! Since we made our garden smaller , planted in beds with an electric fence around it ;neither deer or humans have been able to take anything!


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Usually when mine gets raided it turns out to be a family member. Sister, SIL, cuz! However, one time I did have a couple little neighborhood boys raid my corn patch. They left a cornshuck trail from my garden all the way to their house on the other side of the road. They both were only like 5 and 6 years old and didn't know any better. Thier mother took care of situation and they both came over and apologized. A week or so later when the corn ears were fully developed, I gave them a small sack full to enjoy. 

My garden is right next to the road and I've never had anyone else raid it. However, in the last 3 or so years, I have not had a good garden out there. With the high prices of food, It might get raided now days if I had a decent garden to raid from.


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