Neighbour kids climbing in my garden

[littleHollow]

Neighbour boys on the back play football against my fence all day long which is annoying but my problem is they climb over into my garden to collect them. I have never kept their balls as I throw them over if I see them on the garden so I don't understand why they keep coming over for the balls. I have caught them I don’t know how many times on my garden and asked them politely to not come on to my garden. The mother is well aware of what they are doing so going to speaking to her I feel isnt going to get me anywhere. As I am writing this I have had to ask them again to not come on to my garden . I have also ask if they could play facing the other way with I have just heard the kids slating me for it. I’m not sure where to go from here. I feel disrespected and feel like I have no privacy and I don’t want to go on my garden as I’m just waiting for balls to come flying over and can’t relax. The kids are polite and do apologies but they are back over the next day. What should I do about it?

You’re obviously being too nice to the little shits. Try shouting at them and accidentally soaking them with your hose.

Shame you can’t use this to keep the pesky pigeons away

Position one of those pest deterrent ultrasonic contraptions against your fence. Small animals & young kids can hear the ultra high frequency sound waves & won't hang around for long. They are uncomfortable but not dangerous for small animals and children.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ultrasonic-pest-repeller/s?k=ultrasonic+pest+repeller

Vandal grease sounds a good idea. You can't use spies because if they get injured it will be your fault. Likewise keeping the balls is theft and stabbing them is criminal damage

We had kids over the back of us sitting on the roof our outbuilding, which was damaging the flat felt roof. I asked them nicely, I had a go at them, I even went and spoke to their parents but they didn't stop until I put anti bird spikes along the roof.

I genuinely wouldn't have cared if they have been injured, as they had enough warnings, but it stopped them from doing it.

You can’t put spikes up OP, I’m sure you realise that! The best suggestion I’ve seen here is to take the balls inside and only return them to the parents. If that doesn’t work, throw them into someone else’s garden. Preferably a couple of fences over.

Like this idea, dog poo smeared on the top of your fence. I think you need signs up for the ant vandal paint ?
Thorny bushes in front of the fence.
I’d be inclined to take any ball and put it out your front door and deny seeing it if they ask.
Don’t write anything to the mother or tell her what measures you are going to do. Just do them.

Or grow nettles where they come over.

I like the anti-climb paint suggestion. Isn’t it impossible to remove?

I tell my son if he kicks the ball next door (only happened once luckily) it'll get popped by their dog. Got him a big football goal now so that's stopped the issue. Try vandal paint, or get one of those noise things that only young people hear lol. A shop in my city used to have it outside and it stopped teens from sitting there

Came here to say vandal paint as well.

Rent your garden to the local nudist group for their meetings.

What awful neighbours you have :-( dont throw the balls back in future, pop them! The grease idea and spikes is also a good idea, such a shame some neighbours have to be such morons 😔

do they own or rent? If they rent, speak to the landlord.

anti vandal paint!!

Take up growing fruit. Gooseberries are nice and also stabby.

Send a formal letter to your neighbour asking her children not to trespass and that each and every time they need to retrieve a ball, they must ask permission.

Get a camera in case they choose to ignore and mention this in the letter.

Yes to the spikes.

TALK with the mother.

Borrow a Jack Russell, fab at destroying balls kicked over by little shits darlings.

We had a dog that never chewed our balls but completely destroyed any he found that had come over the fence. He was ace.

I like the idea of holding the balls hostage for the parents to reclaim. Make it inconvenient for them and they're more likely to act.

Or maybe get a needle and put a tiny hole in the ball before you throw it back. So it's not obvious you popped it but it slowly goes flat.

Please cite us the "law" which forbids spikes on fences?

Thank you.

Stab every ball that comes over. Blame your (non-existent) dog and say you’re really sorry but the dog gets to them before you do.
You will need to try very hard to keep the smile off your face, but it will be worth it! 😈

definitely the paint/ grease/ creosote type covering on the fence - os the back fence your property though?

any hedges or trees will end up getting trampled all over.
dogs will get fussed and played with.

hope you sort it.

Do you mind coming back with an update OP?.