How To Scare Away Home Intruders

Nobody wants strangers invading their home. Unfortunately, it happens – while burglary cases are on the decline, they are still alarmingly common. In fact, in the US, it is believed that a house gets burgled every 30 seconds.

Intruders tend to target homes when they are vacant, but can sometimes break into properties while occupants are in (often while they are asleep). If you live in an area with a high burglary rate or have been burgled in the past, it could be essential to take precautions to prevent a break-in. While secure doors and windows are the most basic defense, there are other things you can do to scare off intruders. This post lists a few effective solutions.

Lighting

Most burglars like to operate in the shadows. They deliberately target homes at night and often target homes with no exterior lighting. This reduces the chance of being spotted by neighbors or passers by. 

Therefore adding lighting to the exterior of your home is a simple way to scare off most intruders. Motion detecting lighting is the most popular choice because it only switches on when people are around – helping you to save energy. 

Keeping on lights inside your home can meanwhile trick burglars into thinking that someone is still at home. This could include keeping a living room light on or keeping the TV on. 

Cameras

Cameras can help to catch intruders in the act, giving you evidence to take to the police. However, they are also an effective deterrent – most burglars will see a camera on a property and think twice about breaking in.

Surveillance cameras come in many forms. Video doorbells are some of the most popular options because they’re subtle and footage can be easily accessed on an app on one’s phone. However, you may prefer to look into more traditional security cameras – such cameras stand out more and are more likely to scare burglars off, plus they can be installed on any part of your home to cover any angle. 

Alarms

Burglars also try to be quiet so as not to draw attention to what they’re doing. A burglar alarm can alert everyone in the vicinity of their presence. If they target your home while you’re asleep, an alarm could also help wake you up.

Burglar alarms are typically fitted to doors, but can also be fitted to windows. They are often deactivated by a code on an app on one’s phone. Some alarms can send an alert message to your phone so that you can be notified of a break-in while not at home. Others can even alert the police. It’s worth taking the time to explore different designs of alarm. 

Dogs

If there is a dog in a house, burglars are less likely to target that home. Why? Because some dogs will defend their territory by barking and biting – which makes it harder for a burglar to strike undetected.

Some dog breeds are better guard dogs than others. This could be something to consider when choosing a dog for security reasons (although that shouldn’t be the only reason to adopt a dog).

‘Beware of the dog’ signs may act as a deterrent too by letting burglars know upfront that there’s a dog in the property. Even if you don’t have a dog, such a sign may scare off intruders. 

Sprinklers

Did you know that you can buy motion sensing sprinklers? These can be set up in your yard to spray any intruders. On top of scaring away burglars, such sprinklers are sometimes used to ward off wild animals or neighborhood cats.

You can buy these sprinklers online. Such sprinklers can also be used for hydrating your lawn by having the option to set timers.

Weapons

Most burglars don’t want any violence. If they break into your home and you’re wielding a weapon, they’ll usually run away.

A weapon could be an improvised object like a baseball bat or a hockey stick, or it could be a purpose-built weapon like a gun. Ideally, you don’t want to use this weapon – the threat should be enough to deter an intruder. Of course, knowing self-defense can help if an intruder does get violent. 

A non lethal gun, stun gun or pepper-spray could be a good weapon of choice if you don’t want to accidentally kill someone. While you are in your right to defend your home, there may still be legal implications if an intruder dies on your property.

Voices

Your voice can also help to scare away intruders. This typically requires you to be in the house. However, some video doorbells and alarms have intercoms fitted that allow you to shout warning to burglars from any location.

Leaving on a radio or TV can also put off burglars. Hearing voices and sounds could make them believe that someone is at home.