Protecting your property is a challenge, especially if you live in a rural area. If there’s an intruder the police can take a long time to respond – and, if the prowler is intent on theft not violence, they might not even bother. You can sort of understand that, because their manpower is limited and they need to prioritize, but it isn’t a lot of comfort if your valuable possessions are being stolen.
Being vigilant and prepared to defend yourself is the best way to deter intruders, but it’s not foolproof. You can’t be awake all the time, and while you might wake up if someone breaks into your home, there’s a good chance they could roam around outside without being noticed. That gives them free access to anything that’s on your property but outside your house. A dog can give you some warning, but there are ways to silence a dog. So what options does that leave you?
You can increase your security more economically by placing some warning devices – basically, non-lethal booby traps – around your property. The non-lethal part is vital; if you set up devices that can injure or kill an intruder you’re likely to be in trouble. However, a device that gives you a warning is fine. So is something that makes things difficult for any unwelcome guests without being designed to actually harm them. An assortment of carefully placed traps around your property will let you know there’s mischief going on, and at the same time persuade the bad guys to go somewhere else.
Related: Scare Them Off Or Shoot Them Dead?
Making a Noise
One of the simplest ways to set up a very loud booby trap is to get a few cheap keychain personal alarms. These cost less than $5 each, but they can put out around 120 decibels of sound, making them an effective deterrent to alert you when someone invades your property. Look for the type that goes off when you pull a pin out of the body – we have a tutorial on how to turn one of those into an alarm trap, which shows you how to set traps that trigger these alarms using tripwires.
Personal alarms are battery operated, so they won’t work well in all weather conditions. Very cold weather will quickly drain their batteries, and humidity can damage their electronics, which are cheap and not well sealed. For the same reason, make sure they’re set up somewhere rain or snow can’t get at them. If you’re not sure about how well an electronic alarm will stand up to the weather, go for mechanical ones instead.
A simple and popular military-style option is to pick up some alarm mines. These devices are a spring-loaded mechanism with a metal stake at one end. All you have to do is push it into the ground, attach a tripwire, then load it with a blank round. They usually take a .22 blank, but 12-gauge ones can be found – either will go off with an impressive crack when tripped. These alarm mines are a great example of non lethal booby traps that can catch an intruder’s attention without causing harm. If you can get hold of used fuses from old smoke grenades – these sometimes turn up at gun shows – you can make your own very cheaply.
While these devices are effective deterrents, it’s important to remember that most booby traps designed to injure or kill are illegal in most jurisdictions. Using non lethal booby traps like these alarm devices can protect your property and alert you to unwanted visitors without crossing legal boundaries or risking serious injury to the victim. Always prioritize safety and legality when setting traps on your land or around your house.
Other simple noisemakers can be made with tin cans. A bunch of them at one end of a tripwire will make a nice clatter when someone snags it, or rig a single can or other object to fall into an old metal pail or tub.
Let There Be Light
Security lights with an infrared sensor can be effective at deterring intruders, but they are usually easy to spot. A smart thief will often walk past your home during daylight hours several times, scouting for obstacles and traps. While they may notice a security light, what they probably won’t see is a series of small, well-concealed non lethal booby traps designed to activate a light source or alarm unexpectedly.
One standard military non-lethal booby trap is the trip flare. However, traditional trip flares can be risky on private property since they are known to start fires. A safer and modern alternative is the cyalume trip flare, which is already in military use and even has a NATO stock number. Instead of using an actual flare, it employs a chemical light stick that activates when a trip wire triggers a hammer to bend the stick. The result is an ultra-bright light lasting about five minutes, instantly illuminating the intruder and likely scaring them off.
Here are some key points about using trip flare-style non lethal booby traps for home defense:
- Concealment: Trip wires should be carefully hidden, ideally stretched between two trees or sturdy posts, making them difficult to detect during daylight scouting.
- Safety: Unlike explosive devices or traditional flares, cyalume sticks produce no heat or fire risk, making them legal and safe in most jurisdictions.
- Effectiveness: The sudden burst of bright light can disorient and scare home invaders, giving you time to respond or alert authorities.
- Cost: While cyalume trip flares cost around $25 each, you can improvise similar devices using rat traps and chemical light sticks for a more budget-friendly option.
Using such non lethal booby traps complements other security measures like tripwire alarms, motion-activated lights, and low wire entanglements. Together, these devices create an effective deterrent against burglars and trespassers while keeping you within the bounds of the law and safety.
Remember, the goal of these traps is not to injure but to scare and alert, helping you protect your property without the risk of being held liable for harm caused to intruders or innocent passersby. Always consider local laws before setting any traps, and prioritize safety for yourself, your family, and neighbors.
Related: 10 Common Home Security Mistakes
Terrible Tangles
Another military defense tactic is the low wire entanglement—a tricky setup designed to slow down or deter intruders. This involves sinking numerous stakes into the ground and weaving a web of wire between them. While using barbed wire can be highly effective, it might get you into legal trouble since it can cause more harm than typical barbed fencing or wall topping. Instead, plain fencing wire serves as a safer but still effective alternative to protect your property.
Key points about low wire entanglements:
- Best Placement: Works exceptionally well in long grass, where the wire is concealed.
- Night Effectiveness: Even in shadowed areas, it remains effective after dark.
- Concealment: Make sure intruders scouting your property during daylight won’t easily spot the wire.
How to set up a low wire entanglement:
- Drive stakes—preferably angle iron with notches cut at the top—into the ground across the area you want to cover.
- Leave between 6 and 18 inches of each stake protruding above ground, varying the height randomly.
- Space stakes approximately 3 to 4 feet apart, scattered in a random pattern.
- String fencing wire between the stakes, connecting each stake to its neighbors.
- Avoid pulling the wire too tight; leave about an inch or two of slack in each run.
The result is a tangled web of wire at varying heights, creating a near-impenetrable barrier. If installed in long grass, tidy the area to hide the wire. For bare earth, scatter grass seed to encourage growth through the wire, further camouflaging the entanglement.
To enhance its effectiveness:
- Attach tin cans filled with rocks or old bolts to some wires, creating noise when disturbed.
- Add tripwired devices that trigger alarms or other non-lethal traps.
Such traps serve as an effective deterrent, making it difficult for intruders to navigate your property unnoticed. When combined with other non-lethal booby traps, they help protect your land without resorting to deadly force.
Related: Home Security Tips From an Ex-Burglar
Have a Good Trip
When you’re setting up tripwires the most important thing is to make them as inconspicuous as possible. You can find military tripwire online, or use fishing line. Strong black thread is also good; it’s not reflective. Where you can, set tripwires in long grass. Don’t put them too high; between six inches and a foot off the ground is good. If you want the actual trap to be higher you can knock a U staple in below it and run the wire through the staple and up to the trap. Don’t make tripwires as tight as you can, either; temperature changes can make steel wire contract enough to set off the trap. You should be able to move the center of it an inch or two from side to side without the trap going off.
When you’re setting your non-lethal booby traps think about the routes intruders might use to get into your property, and cover them with your tripwires and entanglements. Areas that are out of sight of your windows, patches that have deep shadows at night – anywhere that lends itself to stealthy movement. If you can give anyone sneaking into those areas a nasty surprise they’ll probably back off, and if they don’t you’ll be forewarned and ready to deal with them.
You may also like:
H2O Dynamo – The Awesome DIY Device That Turns Air Into Fresh Water! (Video)
DIY Rattle-Can Camo for Weapons and Other Gear
You just about got it right. Fasten the pull pin alarm inside with the trip wire going outside. When they run into the trip wire it pulls the pin and wakes you up. This way you don’t have to worry about the alarm being weather proof and the prowler can’t disable it.
Well I guess I should say it figures that you would put this on the net with under the guise of trying to help people that want to protect themselves. As it turns out you are one of your buddies are selling a f****** how to book two people who want to protect themselves. What a bunch of b*******
Youre just mad cuz you couldn’t break into this guys house
I love this!!! We live adjacent to a path that tweaker use to get to their “lair “.
With the owners permission, we have placed Do NOT
ENTER .. etc…. signs blocking and around the path only to have them flung aside. Any particular time of day we should set these?
Need to know how to secure my family ee live in mountains in w.virginia and have had threats to our life by a gang. Bur wr cant get help from lical police. But we have animals so some boobie traps wont work with house hold pets and the deer out side.
Sir, if you’re worried about your family’s safety, and the pets are preventing you from taking protective measures… Get rid of the pets
keep the pets, use your mind and boobie trap where they wont set them off. use height use zones with dog fence that people would still climb over, use lures and distractions, use landmarks like trees and stones. use pepper scents to keep animals away. there are many ways to do both then try to break into your own home as an intruder would. I have pets and traps, both work well
There aint no gangs in WVA.. Get a AR 15.
You’re wrong about that man. They call themselves the Detroit Boys and they’ve completely taken over this area selling heroin(well, fentanyl), meth and cocaine. The murders in Huntington, Charleston and several other large Wva cities are from these punks and they’re from Michigan, obviously, and Dayton or Columbus mostly. I’m curious as to why they can’t go to the police though.
You’re wrong about that. They call themselves the Detroit Boys and they’ve completely taken over most of Ohio and western WVa, They’re the top importers into the tristate, selling heroin(well, fentanyl), meth and cocaine. The murders in Huntington, Charleston and several other large Wva cities are from these punks and they’re from Michigan, obviously, and Dayton or Columbus mostly. I’m curious as to why they can’t go to the police though.
Could you isolate the animals in a spot where they won’t roam around the traps? (IDK what kind of animals you have).
I’m glad to see this. OK, ancient times, a gate when reeves attacked would be breached. a series of heavy planters, even water jars (talking 25-50 gallons) would all be in the way, easing invaders off the walk and into boobytraps. If nothing else, planters and water jars slowed invaders long enough for inhabitants of the house to arm. niio
I live on the woods in nepa area and recently my homes been vandalized and these same people keep comn and harassing me.ive take some steps to thwart them..including blocking with logs the path they use to come on my property. I’ve also taking shit..yes poop and smeared it on logs hoping they get a handful when grabbing onto logs to enter onto property.im goin to dig holes as traps hoping they sprain an ankle or leg or even break somethinh.ive even placed some steaks with poison on em for them to grab or step on even made 5 boards with nails in em for em to step on..im not playing..I ll hurt or kill an intruder screw the police.i do it my way.o don’t care how legal or otherwise it is.the intruders don’t care about me y should I care about them..I dont..
If they get hurt because of you, you can be sued. PA is a swamp unto itself and has been for generations of dem ownership. the more you fight them, the funnier it is to them. Put up cameras with motion detectors hooked to a computer to record. Doing that with raw human feces will get the state involved. Mine rats will wreck your property and complain. Dog works better, anyway 🙂
I went thru this crap for years with some creepy people. Have one arrested and their whole family went after you. I mean like they had 10-12 kids per generation. they voted in a block, so forget a judge siding with you. It never stopped, but I kept a record of every dirty thing on them I heard. If it had backup, it was used. Father a pedophile. 2 sons were rapists and one was a pedophile who pimped his younger brother. Son who pimped was divorced and not allowed to visit his children without supervision.
It wasn’t long before people lost all respect for them and refused to allow their kids to hang out with them. My family told them all to shut up, or else. Not much after that, the military sent a rep to me and asked about the one who pimped. He had been part owner of bordellos in several he had been stationed out of the country and specialized in little kids. Obama was president then, so the case was dropped, but like the captain said, there’s always room for one more perv in Leavenworth.
I wish you all the luck and am praying for you. But, no one wonders why I was so eager to get back home to Arizona. niio
I also live in the woods & had a man harrass me constantly over 10 years. Backing into my driveway, yelling (cursing) at me, spinning gravel at me with a vehicle, spying on me, 2 Rottweillers were let out if I was outside. Police were of little help. Legal system cost me $15,000 and got me nowhere either. Finally, I swore back (beyond angry) at him & told him I have tripwires on my property….hooked up to bombs. If you keep coming onto my property, well good luck. So he called the Fed’s and they came with their dogs & searched my property. I apologized & said “I don’t have bombs, I just said to defend myself after 10 yrs of harrassment.” He said since it’s considered a bomb threat (I used that word) it’s just protocol. I understood. And so did he that I wasn’t the villain here. So proud of him & grateful!
Deborah: There’s a lot of good people in the FBI.
Stray dogs. Electric fencing works. If you’re able and allowed, keep a hive of bees. They’ll go after stray dogs and the man, as well. If you think it best, a hollow log would work for them. Down here, Arizona, mesquite, cholla cactus, and wild olives will keep out pretty much anything. Up north, my sister planted a wall of hawthorns around part of her property to keep off trespassers, and rugosa roses along the front. Both are good good and medicine. niio
Why not live in a gray person house?
!) Do not landscape your yard.Mow it yourself.
2) if possible: drive a USED car( keep a newer one in your garage. keep the door shut at all times).
3)Try not to wear flashy clothes and expensive jewelry often. Keep your cell phone out of sight. Carry your lap top computer in a book bag.
4) Be careful about the trash you set out for city pick up( Amazon boxes can tip off a potential robber.
5) If you own a firearm; learn how to safely use it. Do not tell anyone that you own them.
!) Do not landscape your yard.Mow it yourself.
Mow what? When the ‘wild flowers’ die back, they can be trampled down as a mulch for the next crop. There’s an old joke here that someone wanted a real lawn, so they planted one and bought a lawn mower, then couldn’t figure who to use it. No one has them. They either let it grow ‘natural’ or spray it to kill anything green.
2) if possible: drive a USED car( keep a newer one in your garage. keep the door shut at all times).
Even the local millionaires drive older vehicles. It’s ranch country. Their planes are all new, of course!
3)Try not to wear flashy clothes and expensive jewelry often. Keep your cell phone out of sight. Carry your lap top computer in a book bag.
This is wisdon, be blessed.
4) Be careful about the trash you set out for city pick up( Amazon boxes can tip off a potential robber.
Amazon boxes are great if you have a garden. Or, a problem with porch pirates. Fill the box with used kitty littler. Let them figure it out.
5) If you own a firearm; learn how to safely use it. Do not tell anyone that you own them.
I get laughed at by little old ladies around here ‘cause I tell them I don’t own a gun. The Apache babe across the road likes to plink bikers with her .22 when they make too much noise. We have a lot of very nice, quiet bikers around. Would you shoot back at a little old lady? Not in Indian Country. Not if you want to make it to breakfast. BTW, Indian country is redneck country and goes from Siberia to the southern top of Argentina.