Should You Keep Your Property Maintained Once the SHTF?

Should You Keep Your Property up Once the SHTF like Mowing Trimming And So Forth

If the power grid has collapsed, you are sheltering in place and it has been three weeks or more, do you maintain the outside of your home or do you let it go.

Letting it goes means the grass is quite high after three weeks, shrubs may need pruning, leaves are gathered in bushes and corners of the porch, and debris that has fallen from the trees due to a storm still litters your yard. Your home may look abandoned or vacant at this point. Is this the impression you want to give, or do you want your home to look like it is occupied during a crisis.

Some Reason to Keep the Grass Trimmed and Debris and Litter Picked Up

1.) In the summer months high grass means insects, snakes and rodents have a sanctuary, a safe haven close to humans and close to human food. This may not bode well for those living in the home if your area has venomous snakes, and no one wants biting insects that can carry diseases crawling around, and rodents can get into the home and destroy food supplies, bite humans and generally create trouble.

2.) Grass that is high enough and shrubs not trimmed back can be hiding places for anyone stalking or attacking the home. Even when there is not a crisis, criminals are always on the lookout for homes to break into, so giving them cover to get close to the home is not a good idea.

3.) Keeping the outside cleaned up and well maintained shows the home is occupied, similar to leaving a light on when you go out at night. Certain criminals look for signs of occupancy before breaking in, and if they suspect someone may be home they may not attempt.

4.) Even though you are in the midst of a crisis taking pride in your home and property is a psychological boost. It helps occupy your mind in a positive way. Having some sense of normalcy is important during a crisis. Like preparing hot meals at normal times, and doing chores like cutting the grass and trimming the shrubs and so on.

5.) Maintaining a sanctuary for small rodents and even rabbits and other mammals’ means the predators know where to go for the all you can eat buffet. While this would not be a big problem for most people it may be for some. Coyotes and even other more dangerous four legged predators may begin to prowl around the area.

Some Reasons Why Your May Not Want To Maintain the Outside of Your Home

1.) Certain groups or individuals during a crisis would assume any house that looks occupied would have people living inside and more importantly supplies would be inside. There are advantages to having a home that looks abandoned. People often times give little thought to a home that looks vacant, and groups or individuals looking to pillage and plunder may not bother to stop.

2.) Depending on your mindset and on how well you are armed you may want to keep the grass high and the bushes shaggy so you have a hiding place to counter an attack. While this may not generally be a tactical advantage in most situations it maybe one in a crisis if your home is attacked or you are under siege and have to escape. Hiding places for those attacking can also be concealment for those defending the home.

3.) Game animals may want to graze if the grass gets high enough and the shrubs are left to grow. This is by no means a guarantee, but deer and other game may begin to graze, and you could if a situation presented itself bag yourself fresh game, if you can do so without giving away the fact someone is living in the home.

Considerations

Even though you are not cutting the grass or picking up debris, walking the property will leave signs of life for anyone that is looking for signs. Trails will be made if you walk through the grass in the same place each time, so if you do have to go out always use a different route. This will be difficult until it becomes a habit.

Human predators will stake out water sources in a crisis seeking other humans just like a four legged predator stalks the game trails to and from water looking for prey.

It would be very difficult to live in a home and not leave some sign someone is living there unless you did not use any form of light at night, did not get caught hunting game, searching for water or caught out foraging for edibles. Anyone with ill intent will follow you back to your home.

You have to decide when a crisis strikes how you plan to shelter in place safely. There is more to sheltering in place than just having enough food, water, medicines, and other essentials.

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Source: prepforshtf.com