Look at video camera setups. You can pickup a 4 camera outfit for around $100. They record to a DVR or you can buy a system with a card. Mine runs off an older PC. I have 5 cameras & two dummy housings. You can get a "driveway alarm" from Harbor freight for $12. Easy job to mod them with a relay to turn on a light when tripped. Mine turn on a light that lights up the dummys. Along with the no solicitor signs are signs in English & Spanish stating that they are being recorded and the video is streamed to the PD.
Three times I've had guys back up to my trailer, stand there reading the sign & split like their butts were on fire! If you have a trailer, get a hitch lock to lock the hitch closed. A 3/4" pipe stuck through the wheels with a piece welded on one end & a padlock on the other is a great deterrent. They drive up, see the pipe & leave.
A friend has a pressure mat he bought from an alarm company under his doormat. He hooked it up to a surplus bell that you can hear at least three blocks away. He didn't tell the wife when he installed it. After she cleaned her shorts, she showed him what "Don't mess with the cook" meant.
Being a former SFer we are not ex's just FORMER SF
third, I got the best deterant around besides a lot of gun and ammo to burn up, BUT, when I used to have on a previous house I had some sticker signs, (about 4X6 in size), I had on every entrance including windows and it read;
DEADLY FORCE IS AUTHORIZED BEYOND THIS POINT!
When ym ex-wife and I were married and had a few issues, mainly due to her motehr and sister, but the police came out once and the 2 officers saw my signs on the front door and was curious about it and thought maybe I was off my rocker. I asked them if they were burglers and wanted to break in a house, and if you saw this house to break into and with these signs on all the entrances what would you do? They both said they would find another house! I said EXACTLY!! It keeps my things nice, secure, and safe and keeps my floors from getting someone else's blood and brains on them! They both said I had a very good point!
A few houses around always got broken into, but mine never was hit! Always had more than 1 vehicle in the drive way. I know for fact there was some suspious guys that came out to my house a couple of times during the break ins and from what I saw on my security cam at my front door faces all covered and couldn't pick out any identity. Of course you could be looking all over and never find the cams even if you were trying to find it and never do.
Sorry to hear about your brother too. I got 1 solution for thieves, but I can't post here because it may offend some and me violate the terms!
Went to the shooting range, got a full size silhouette of the upper torso and head. Shot a few bullet holes in the head and heart portions of the target, then taped the target with the bullet holes to my door
My ex GF had that type of issue and I had enough influence back then to get her to move. She loved that house too. My guess is that you have teenagers, who somehow feel less impact from an arrest, or even being shot. Drugs? Yes. Won't you likely get into trouble if you shoot a teen inside if he isn't armed himself? The USA is messed up in that way.
All good ideas……the game camera is always helpful…….and if you could wire in a recording of a pump shotgun being racked with a voice saying you are going to die…..that may help to discourage intruders and it would all be automatic
I lived way back in the woods for a long time and my Landlady's grandson grew into a worthless thievin' junkie. After several break-ins while I was at work I got a commercially available tear gas release system. They broke in again, opened a closet where rifles were stored and got a good dose of gas and left with nothing. Gas release is a very effective system, available with trip wires or motion sensor activation. Just gotta remember when it's on. I did gas myself once coming in from a very hard tiring day at work and forgetting the trip wire in the kitchen.
We had trouble a few years ago from dope heads breaking into our barns and stealing fuel from tractors. We hung up signs on all our barns that read "trespassers will be shot on sight" . We had not more trouble after that. Word must of got around lol..
Ultimate redneck solution- I know a guy who believe it or not raises skunks. He has them de-scented and keeps them all over the inside of the house. He says they are no harder to keep than cats and they even use a litter box. Imagine walking into a house full of skunks.
Im with Papalittle on this. My house was built in the mid 1700s and I have no idea if there are keys for the doors or not. Being in farm country, everybody looks out for each other. We are also animal control officers for our town, and large animal rescue for the county, so we always have an abundance of animals here. With all the dogs we have, it is impossible for someone to get on the property without us knowing about it. If they get into the house, they will not get out without our help. Nuff said on that subject. Good luck with your problem, and catching the ones responsible.
My buddy didn't live in the best neighborhood growing up. His dad had a sticker on his front door that said "Steal Here, Die Here". As far as I know, he never had any problems.
Where are your motion sensors located? I don't expect you to answer. Is that what is setting off your alarm? Are you sure that whatever is setting off your alarm is human? Maybe it's an animal of some type.
PS- Or maybe it's the goatman, you did say you lived in Maryland right? lol
Sorry but my grandad lived in Calvert county when I was growing up and I used to listen to all kinds of crazy stories about the dreaded "goatman" and "cry baby bridge" and "snallygasters" and the witch that lived in that old house way out in the woods, long before the Blair witch was ever thought of.
You can't buy a redneck alarm, you will have to make it yourself. Use an activator that will not be tripped by a cat or dog. Forget about bells, and whistles. Rig an old gun to fire blanks, not only will that alert you, nobody would dare come back. You can even weld an old gun to a cemented pipe behind a bush next to the house. Three to four shots would be more than enough. Good luck.
My system works very well. The deer were over the other night and set off the outside motion sensors - repeatedly. And just because I stuck 10 pounds of corn outside for them. Jeesh. Not really afraid, my Father, who owns the whole blasted place, has things under control. The fire breathing dragon and moat were a little overboard though? Right? No? Yes?