Persimmon rustlers

[Roger Feeley]

We have an Asian persimmon tree in our front yard. The past two years, I have gone out to find the tree stripped bare. One day, loaded. The next day, nothing. It’s the principle of the thing that really bugs me.

The tree is too far from the house for wifi and there’s no power there. thinking of using a trail camera.

thoughts?

[Ric Jones]

had same problem with grapefruit and an orange tree, i put an extender for distance on router (well daughter did, as i know squat about tech stuff) and found out who and when. Neighbors down street were surprised when i pounded on their door and gave them an invoice for my fruit. needless to say i would have given most away, but to just take it is just not right. if no web work, trail cam, and get'm
rj in az

[Frank Pratt]

Take a video of you licking each fruit and then play it back on a TV secured to the trunk :)

[Ronald Blue]

They make trail cams that will notify you via cellular signal anytime it is activated. I don't know if it uses an app or not but you can see immediately who/what triggered it. Link attached is one of many via web search.

https://worldbirds.com/best-cellular-trail-camera/

[Roger Feeley]

I thought I might put up two trail cams to catch them and get a license plate. I would like to avoid the cameras with cellular. I’m hoping that just pictures and videos would suffice.

Should I drop by the police station to see if they would be willing to use video evidence and prosecute. If not, what about small claims court?

I have a giant tree net coming. My thinking that the net plus a sign might make it just hard enough to deter the rustlers.

these persimmons do have some value. They go for about 3$ each in the store or farmers market. I figure that they stole over a hundred fruits.

[Stan Calow]

Its worth talking to the police ahead of time, so you know what they recommend, and they'll know you're not a nutcase. The value information would be helpful in whether they pursue it or not. Maybe those at the farmers' market are yours.

[Andrew More]

Do you have it posted? I think a lot of people think that fruit trees are free for the picking, and a sign is super cheap compared to your other options. A sign would at least keep the honest people honest by letting them know that you want the fruit.

[Michael Schuch]

Do you have it posted? I think a lot of people think that fruit trees are free for the picking, and a sign is super cheap compared to your other options. A sign would at least keep the honest people honest by letting them know that you want the fruit.

"Please inquire at house if you would like some fruit from this tree"

At least they will know they are slime for steeling your fruit and can't write it off as nobody was going to use the fruit anyway.

When I was growing up and people were steeling apples from our trees my mother mixed flour with water and sprayed all the fruit. It was benign but looked like some toxic pesticide.

[Roger Feeley]

I talked to a Falls Church police officer and he very carefully told me, “I can’t tell you that you can mount a trail camera on public property.” I take that to mean that they are ok with it but don’t advertise.

so, this year, I will post signage and put a giant net over the tree. If that doesn’t work, I’ll deploy trail cameras next year.

[Warren Lake]

have you seen the you tube of the kid who put some apple tracker things in his stuff that kept getting stolen. Turned out a neighbour miles away, he took the cops there and got all his stuff back. He had cameras as well but think the tracker thing helped the most.

I guess if you put an Apple tracker in an apple and someone swallows it they will hire the lawyer from Seinfeld. Its an odd world.

[Jim Becker]

I don't understand the comment from LE to you about "public property". Unless the tree is in the municipal easement, wouldn't it be private property?

At any rate, sign for sure...and I see zero harm in video monitoring, whether by a trail cam or by some other means.

[Tom M King]

Could deer get them?

[Andrew More]

At any rate, sign for sure...and I see zero harm in video monitoring, whether by a trail cam or by some other means.

Honestly the biggest problem with cameras is the price. The trail cameras people are suggesting are almost the same price/value as the stolen fruit. I've thought about putting up cameras at home, but the worst thing that's happened here is some people taking like $1.27 in spare change from our unlocked cars. Doubt the police would do anything if we caught them right there.

Worse I've seen the general results of people posting their security camera footage on facebook and the like. Could be a man (or a women) between 5' 2" and 6' 5", maybe with a beard, maybe not, with all their limbs, unless it's actually Bigfoot". The cameras most people use are those crappy wifi ones that just don't start with good resolution.

To get good pics people really need to go with some cameras directly hooked up to ethernet directly, usually PPoE, at which point you start getting some decent results. Bonus some of the better cameras will also allow you to store the footage locally and not pay a monthly fee for cloud storage. I like TrendNet cameras for this, but I'm sure there are other good brands out there.

Finally even when the camera footage is perfect, little happens. A local couple literally around the block from our place posted footage from a good camera a couple of feet away from these kids that came into their yard and stole a bike directly out of their driveway. You could clearly see all the kids and their faces, and.... nothing.

So a cheap sign, vs a couple hundred in cameras seems like the best use of resources.

[Roger Feeley]

Could deer get them?
We are in the city but do see deer from time to time. The tree is 20 feet tall so they would only get the lowest fruit. If that was the case, I’d let them have them. The tree has fruit one day and the next day all the fruit is gone. I would think that if any animals are the culprits there would be Alf finished debris. The ground was clean. That’s why I believe that it’s people stealing the fruit.

my wife looked on next door and found other posters in our area reporting the same thing.

[Ronald Blue]

I'm with Jim, what an odd comment by LE if the tree is on your property. Do you have any deer hunting friends or acquaintances? Maybe borrow a couple. You want "infrared flash" that's not visible. Also a couple locations that have a clear view but not obvious.

[Jack Frederick]

I would suggest that you and the neighbors cruise the farmers markets. If you see anyone selling persimmons just casually mention what has happened to yours. You are not accusing anyone, just letting people know that you have about had it with the situation. If the people at the market are growing their own I think they would be helpful. If they got them from a friend.
Back in about ‘58 or so my friends and I climbed a fence and were liberating some apples. We weren’t bagging them up or anything, just a couple apples each. The farmer happened around the corner of the hedge and gave a shout and we were off. Tommy and I made it to the fence quickly, but Billy who had polio and had a bad leg and arm was slower. Just as he was clearing the fence the farmer laced him with a load of rock salt up his legs, butt and lower back. We had to soak him in the creek while the salt dissolved. We didn’t pick any more of that guys apples.

[Bill Dufour]

I think the LEO is saying you can set up a camera so it has a good view of license plates and faces regardless of the camera being on public property or not. I think he means the footage is legal to take and would be accepted in court. It would not be considered a peeping tom and not allowed in court.
Of course if the cameras only field of view is into the females bathroom then probably not allowed.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

My Cousin near Sand Diego says there are commercial avacado rustlers who take loaded bins at night with forklifts and semi trucks. Ranchers do not leave picked fruit on the property overnight. One bin can be worth over $1,000 years ago. I am sure it is higher now. Studies have shown trees near roads produce less ripe fruit.
They also steal cactus and plant them in residential yards. The customers complain when they die six month latter because they did not take the roots.
Bill D

[John K Jordan]

We have an Asian persimmon tree in our front yard. …

We have dozens of persimmon trees, the native US type, Diospyros virginiana, also called White Ebony or American Ebony. I never heard of Asian Persimmons. (fantastic wood!)

What’s the difference?

[Patrick McCarthy]

i suppose the old fashioned steel-jawed bear trap would be out-of-the question . . . . but t'would be tempting . . . . .

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Raccoons and Opossums love persimmons. Sorry for your loss. As John mentioned, the wood has some value and is used for golf clubs and mallets etc. The Asian variety is sold as a fruit tree.

[Roger Feeley]

What’s the difference?
my grandmother had an American persimmon tree and used to bring over bags of ripe fruit. Those were more like dates as I recall. The Asian (fuyu) persimmon looks like an orange apple but tastes more like a very firm pear. when we built our house we took down a tree and the city made us replace it or lose a significant bond. I chose a persimmon tree because I like trees that work for me.

My wife makes a nice purée that eats like apple sauce. Our daughter just announced that she’s pregnant with twins so we hope to purée the whole harvest for the babies.

[Roger Feeley]

i suppose the old fashioned steel-jawed bear trap would be out-of-the question . . . . but t'would be tempting . . . . .
My six year old grandson suggested a motion detector that would activate sprinklers.

[Warren Lake]

you could hire Harry Crumb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12QN4YBZCy4

[Jim Koepke]

i suppose the old fashioned steel-jawed bear trap would be out-of-the question . . . . but t'would be tempting . . . . .

My mind is like an "old fashioned steel-jawed bear trap."

Rusty and illegal in 37 states.

jtk

[Patrick McCarthy]

Well played, Jim. Well played.

[Lee Schierer]

Unless you post your property and create a physical barrier, local law enforcement will do nothing. The level of the offense is at best a misdemeanor which would get a slap on the wrist and a warning.

It doesn't take long for animals to strip a tree of fruit. There are probably a dozen or more raccoons and/or possums in your neighborhood that are fully aware of that tree and fruit.

[Kev Williams]

I like signs ;)

482385

[Ronald Blue]

Unless you post your property and create a physical barrier, local law enforcement will do nothing. The level of the offense is at best a misdemeanor which would get a slap on the wrist and a warning.

It doesn't take long for animals to strip a tree of fruit. There are probably a dozen or more raccoons and/or possums in your neighborhood that are fully aware of that tree and fruit.

If it's racoons there will be evidence left behind guaranteed.

[Ronald Blue]

You could set a simple alarm/trap. I had forgotten but a former co-worker had trouble with "kid's" stealing his kid's jack-o-lanterns off the front porch. He took a flash cube, an old style mouse trap, and a battery along with a strip of firecrackers. The jack-o-lantern sat on the "set" mouse trap. With some simple wiring it was a simple booby trap. He was asleep on the couch in the living room and was awakened to the fire crackers going off. Even though the jack-o-lantern was busted where it dropped he knew some underwear needed changing. With todays modern cameras it would have been priceless to see the whole thing transpire on video. Mind you this was 30 plus years ago. If flash cubes are even available these days they made great igniters. I'm thinking a perimeter trip wire set up a foot off the ground or so would work great here.

[Andrew More]

If flash cubes are even available these days they made great igniters.

Rocket engine igniters (https://www.rocketryworks.com/estes-starttech-model-rocket-starters-6-pack/) for model rockets would work and are designed to be wired to a small battery.

[Ronald Blue]

Rocket engine igniters (https://www.rocketryworks.com/estes-starttech-model-rocket-starters-6-pack/) for model rockets would work and are designed to be wired to a small battery.

That's true. Never even gave those a thought.

[Karl Loeblein]

Are your Asian persimmons even ripe enough to eat? My Fuyu persimmons won’t be ripe until early Fall.

[Alex LaZella]

I would for sure just post a sign. I am totally sympathetic to the loss of fruit, I grow it and I want to enjoy it, or at least be asked first but I see persimmon trees wasting fruit all the time around me. It isn't a particularly common taste and perhaps they, erroneously, think nobody is eating them. There are 4 persimmons on a route i frequently walk with my family and after several years of seeing the fruit just smashed on the ground I knocked on the nearest door and was greeted with a "what's a persimmon" response. I am sure you know your neighbors better than I do but perhaps it isnt as malicious as some are making it out. A sign is an easy low confrontation way to announce that you indeed want the fruit. The tactical gear and apple airtags can come later.

[Erik Loza]

I have an aunt who lives in rural San Diego Co. She has a large lot that had a sizeable avocado orchard. There was a period of time in the 90’s where organized gangs would come at night and strip the trees, like what the OP is describing. “Avocado rustling” was such a thing that LE was busting restaurants who bought from ill-gotten suppliers. I guess they must have those little stickers on each avocado? Anyhow, she never caught the rustlers. There was a severe drought a couple of years later. She told me that between the losses from theft and the water bill to keep the orchard going, it was unsustainable. I think she let the trees die and then had them felled. Very sad. OP, I hope you find a solution.

Erik

[Malcolm McLeod]

I like signs ;)

482385

+1 - - A distant relation has one at their barn: "If you can read this, you're in range."

[Bruce Page]

You could set a simple alarm/trap. I had forgotten but a former co-worker had trouble with "kid's" stealing his kid's jack-o-lanterns off the front porch. He took a flash cube, an old style mouse trap, and a battery along with a strip of firecrackers. The jack-o-lantern sat on the "set" mouse trap. With some simple wiring it was a simple booby trap. He was asleep on the couch in the living room and was awakened to the fire crackers going off. Even though the jack-o-lantern was busted where it dropped he knew some underwear needed changing. With todays modern cameras it would have been priceless to see the whole thing transpire on video. Mind you this was 30 plus years ago. If flash cubes are even available these days they made great igniters. I'm thinking a perimeter trip wire set up a foot off the ground or so would work great here.

As much as I hate thieves, if anyone was hurt, that approach sounds like a lawsuit that you would lose.

[Myk Rian]

I have a game cam in the back yard. Instead of loading it with 8 AA batteries, I bought a small 12v lead acid battery and plug it into the power port on the cam. It lasts for several months.

[Tom Bender]

You said the tree is 20 feet tall. How are they getting the high fruit?

Maybe you have persimmon locusts or bats.

[Roger Feeley]

You said the tree is 20 feet tall. How are they getting the high fruit?

Maybe you have persimmon locusts or bats.
Thats a really good question. If I’m going to harvest the fruit, I’m going to have to figure it out.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I remembered this thread and had a good chuckle yesterday as I read Huckleberry Finn again. We can be sure they were not thieved by Huck and Jim as they swore off of crabapples and persimmons by way of recompense.