Fence climbing neighbours

[Everyonelovesgoodneighbours]

How can I stop my neighbours climbing my fence?

Spiky hedge.

You would have to paint both sides but its your fence and you can do what you like with it, can you add some trellis, I like the idea of a manure trench. Have you got a camera tha s records them coming into your garden which you can show to the police.

Trespass is a civil matter, not criminal.

Take photos next time you see them climb over. If you own the fence, put anti vandal paint on the top of it.

It might be a civil case, but if I found people I hadn’t invited into my garden trying to get out, I’d probably call the police thinking they were trying to break in.

Spikey bushes

Metal spikes on top of fence should do it.

Anti claims paint, but you need to stick notices up

Lots of spiky plants planted up against it,

Sensor sprinkler

Do not put up metal spikes

Wait. This rings a bell. Are you the one who threw 4/6 balls back? I thought they were lifting the fence?

Will look at anti climb spikes, just feels so ridiculous a thing to have to put on a fence. Why can’t people be decent neighbours?!

Ironically they didn’t throw back 1 ball our kid kicked over their fence.

Typo “our” not “their” fence - typing too quickly!

@IdiotIntrusion

Wait. This rings a bell. Are you the one who threw 4/6 balls back? I thought they were lifting the fence?

No that was me. I have commented upthread as I completely sympathise with the OP, having had to deal with similar although in my case they were lifting the panels, but also regularly stand on them and have climbed over too.

Pyracantha and any other spiky plant will take years to grow into an effective deterrent. I don’t know why people always suggest it in these situations.

Anti-climb paint will stop it in the short term.

Maybe they're taking the piss out of you a little bit? As in they've found that you really react to 'alleged' acts of 'fence climbing' and therefore claim "not me mate" as your head twists in several directions.

They probably go inside and have a right chuckle about your outrage. I'm not defending their behaviour OP but you might need to climb down a bit from your own high horse so you don't add too much more fuel to their fire.

Purely out of curiosisity, would you please be kind enough to describe how your neighbouring adults climb your 6ft6in fence and what they actually do when they climb it?

Pyracanthas.

They stand on furniture near the fence on their side and pull themselves up @TheHateIsNotGood and I don’t think I’m on my “high horse” at all about it at all. I merely asked for suggestions about what I could do but FYI my “reaction” each time has been to politely say to them “please don’t climb the fence, if you need something from our garden we will leave the gate open so you can come in”.

Thanks for your reply OP - I'm just being devil's advocate. Have had plenty of odd, strange and, as in every neighbourhood, bully neighbours myself so 'wierdo' neighbours are everywhere. Some neighbours in various places have thought/called me the wierdo.

So what do your wierdos do after they climb on their garden furniture and climb onto your fence?

They just sit on the fence and watch us! It’s so weird. We’re pretty boring, either gardening or reading.

I’m just getting so frustrated by it as we’re happy for them to come round if something gets kicked in the garden etc, like we said they don’t even have to knock to let us know, just let themselves in the gate, but we just want some privacy. Trying to be as polite as we can about it as don’t want to turn anything nasty but it genuinely makes me consider moving house.

If you think anti-climb spikes are too pointed (no pun intended) definitely look into planting a spiky hedge, at least then you can pretend you did it for the love of plants.

Is it possible that your fence, quite legally, blocks some of their garden sunlight? I have a neighbouring house where the owners have done that -to preserve their 'concept of privacy'. We live on a steep hill and their fence towers above me and cuts off my sunshine earlier than it should. And they don't even live there, it's a 2nd home.

If I was a fence-climbing ignorant neighbour it would be understandable. Truly my only recourse is to raise parts of my yard to overcome their very thoughtless and ignorant fence. Meanwhile if I had some garden furniture high enough, it is very possible that I would stand on it to be in sunlight; although frankly I'd rather just take a sledgehammer to me neighbour's version of the Berlin Wall.

I like the sensor sprinkler idea.

@TheHateIsNotGood nope, the direction of the sun means that ironically the new fence casts more of a shadow over our own garden so for sunlight purposes the shorter fence was in our interests. They also have a huge birch tree planted near our boundary that shades us when it’s in leaf too (but it is a pretty tree, and in truth in the summer the shade is beneficial). I honestly think they’re just nosey! Apparently before we moved in the person who lived in our house used to let them use the garden so maybe they just feel entitled yo the space

I would just put anti climb paint along the top edge, they can't get over without coming into contact with it if it's along the top and it should only take one pair of ruined jeans before they get the message. You are supposed to have signs but don't know if there are rules about size, where they are placed etc, if not I'd just put a tiny one up on your side of the fence to cover yourself in case they moan And if they are cheeky enough to say anything I would just brazen it out that you'd heard there were burglaries in the area and a friend recommended it and deny its anything to do with them climbing whilst smirking slightly so they know damn well it is!

@Everyonelovesgoodneighbours

They just sit on the fence and watch us! It’s so weird. We’re pretty boring, either gardening or reading.

I’m just getting so frustrated by it as we’re happy for them to come round if something gets kicked in the garden etc, like we said they don’t even have to knock to let us know, just let themselves in the gate, but we just want some privacy. Trying to be as polite as we can about it as don’t want to turn anything nasty but it genuinely makes me consider moving house.

Hose them when they do this, because it's time to clean your fence.