Trees That Punish Thieves

In some lands the Christmas tree is considered indispensable to celebrating Christmas, but not all who want a tree are willing to pay for one. Parks and landscaped rights-of-way of many highways in the United States have been invaded by tree thieves. In search of the ideal fir, spruce, or pine, thieves chop them down and haul them off regardless of who owns the land.

Some states have begun to fight back. During last year’s Christmas season, authorities in various northern regions began spraying some trees with a special chemical. It isn’t noticeable in the cold outdoors, but once a tree is safely inside the thief’s warm living room, the chemical makes its presence known. According to The Wall Street Journal, it stinks “like a fertilizer factory.”

The parks director for Monroe, Connecticut, estimates that the town has lost hundreds of trees to thieves over the years. But ever since town officials placed notices in the local newspaper warning would-be thieves that the tempting-looking trees were, in effect, stink bombs, thefts have gone down.