With the financial benefits of homesteading, you want to ensure the property is as safe and secure as possible to protect your investment, livestock, and all your hard work. There are many potential risks that homesteaders–especially novice ones–may not be aware of, including criminal damage and trespassing, as well as the risk of animal predators lurking in the shadows. Therefore, understanding the best ways to protect your property is vital, so consider this advice to keep your property safe.
Fencing
The most critical element in securing your property is a high-quality and robust wood fence to outline the boundaries of your property and immediately highlight a deterrent to ensure people understand they cannot and should not try to gain access.
Fences are a useful and affordable way to set up your space, but they can also help to organize your homestead and keep the growth under control. By using fences, you can provide top-notch protection for any livestock and crops and outline designated spaces for specific needs or activities.
Cameras
Modern technology has delivered plenty of security solutions, with cameras being one popular example. Set up security cameras with mics for the complete audio-visual solution to hear as much as you see.
Install cameras with wifi connectivity so you can view the goings-on around your homestead no matter where you are. If you spot something strange or suspicious, you can get to the area quickly to investigate. It could be a false alarm with one of the animals, but there’s always the chance it could be someone trespassing.
Storage
Your homestead requires many tools and equipment to keep things under control and ensure things run smoothly. But lugging heavy tools around can be exhausting, which is why installing a garden shed in various spaces around your property could be beneficial.
Not only does it provide a convenient storage solution, but it also keeps expensive tools secure and lowers the risk of theft. Since some tools can fetch a high price in resale environments, you should do everything possible to secure and hide them when you’re not using them.
Traps
Wild animals roaming the perimeter will always look for ways to get in, especially if you have chickens or other small livestock that could look like a tasty meal. Furthermore, small animals, like mice, can become pests and cause infestations, which is why traps are useful.
Of course, you don’t want to make a mess, so building humane DIY mouse traps could be a great solution. You may need to speak to animal control to handle bigger animals if they become a nuisance, although your fences and cameras should have helped you avoid significant problems.
Foliage
Natural barriers are another way to outline your boundaries and highlight what part of the area is your property. Thick bushes and shrubbery can make certain areas impossible to access, especially for humanism, which will keep your property safe. You can also grow plants that produce produce, providing the dual benefit of protecting your space and giving you something to sell at the local markets.
Animals
Working on a homestead means you may spend a lot of time with animals and you can use some of these animals to your advantage in protecting the property. Many owners think of training a guard dog to alert them to trespassers, especially when roaming the property after dark.
Guard dogs can help with peace of mind and increase your confidence, as you know they are a fantastic deterrent against trespassers and other wild animals, such as wolves in Sacramento, CA if these are prevalent in your area. If you grow expensive crops or have a large space, guard dogs can ensure a more secure property to prevent common issues like parties or theft.
Lighting
Vast expanses of farmland can be tricky to navigate after sunset and walking around with only a flashlight is not always a reliable solution. Instead, motion sensor lighting can help keep your property safe by illuminating whenever someone or something comes within range. These lights can work alongside your cameras and they should scare off anyone that comes onto your property.
Although you can’t monitor your property all the time because you need to sleep and go out, you can use security systems to maximize how much you know about attempted trespassing and other issues so you can alert the authorities and set up further security measures.
Protected
Securing your homestead can provide peace of mind and keep your investment protected. You may already have some of these measures in place, but others could give you the additional safety and security you need to ensure your homestead remains fully operational and thriving.
