AITJ for planting Carolina Reapers after teens kept stealing and wrecking my front-yard veg patch?

I have a sunlit front-yard veggie patch that neighbours know about and I often share produce. After crops kept being stolen and plants vandalised by local teenagers — despite putting out free baskets — I planted very hot chillies. They stole those too. I watched the footage of them eating the Reapers and couldn't stop laughing, but now I feel guilty because they might have hurt themselves.

My front yard gets great sun and is sheltered, so I set up a small veggie patch beneath a large native tree that crests along the front of the property. Neighbours know it's there and people stop to chat while I'm working. I share produce regularly — tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, and the odd bumper bean year. Lately I started finding plants damaged and ripe veggies missing. I initially assumed someone was hungry, so I left little baskets of ripe produce with a "free to a good home" sign, but the vandalism and theft continued.

I installed a hidden trail cam, caught the neighbourhood teenagers ripping up plants and stuffing produce in their pockets, tried talking to parents (no luck), and then planted Carolina Reapers — the kids stole them and I enjoyed the footage, but now I wonder if I went too far.

After the hidden camera caught teenagers coming onto my property, ripping plants and stuffing produce into pockets while laughing, I tried speaking to their parents. The parents were aggressive and not cooperative. Fed up, I replanted the bed with very hot chillies — Carolina Reapers and Birdseyes — and posted a sign (fairy-lit at night) that said "very hot chillies please do not touch." I watched them ripen, expecting they'd leave them alone.

"I put out free baskets and a sign, but the vandalism continued — so I set up a hidden camera."

A few nights later I found chillies missing. The footage showed the same kids who'd been stealing and trashing my patch sneaking in and eating the Reapers. Their reactions were — in my honest account — absolutely hilarious: obvious regret, screaming, running to the tap, and general chaos. I laughed so hard I almost cried. It's been a week and there have been no further damages to the patch since.

"I watched the footage and couldn't stop laughing — but I also feel guilty in case they hurt themselves."

I'm torn. On one hand, those teens were trespassing and damaging my property after I tried to be generous. On the other hand, Carolina Reapers are really painful if handled or eaten carelessly — and since they picked them with bare hands there's a real chance they rubbed their eyes or caused themselves harm. I haven't posted or shared the footage (they're minors and there are legal concerns). I also don't want escalating retaliation or identification of my yard. The only tangible outcome so far: the vandalism stopped.

🏠 The Aftermath

After the Reaper incident there have been no further damages to my patch for over a week. The teenagers haven't returned (at least not on camera), and the vibe in the street has cooled — maybe word spread, maybe they got the message the hard way. I haven't involved police; I don't want to escalate things or subject minors to legal trouble. I also didn't share the footage publicly to avoid doxxing or legal exposure.

Practical results: my plants are safe for now, I still share produce with neighbours who respect the patch, and I saved the patch from recurring destruction. Personal costs: a gnawing guilt about possibly causing pain to kids (and worry they might have injured their eyes), and a small fear that a parent might retaliate if they recognise themselves on a hidden camera.

Longer-term: I now keep the trail cam active and have reinforced the message that the patch is shared but not a free-for-all. The escalation to extreme heat chillies seems to have solved the immediate problem, but it raises questions about proportionality and neighbourly trust.

"I planted Carolina Reapers and watched the footage — it's hilarious, but I worry they might have hurt their eyes."

I'm relieved the vandalism stopped, but not entirely proud of the method. It felt satisfying in the moment, and it worked — but I didn't intend real injury. The cautious part of me worries about consequences and whether I crossed a line from deterrent to harm.

💭 Emotional Reflection

This situation sits in an uncomfortable moral grey area. You have the right to protect your property, especially after repeated trespass and vandalism — and nonviolent deterrents are a reasonable tool. But intentionally planting something you know will cause significant pain if misused edges toward creating harm, even if the initial intent was only deterrence or a teachable moment.

A balanced view: the kids were in the wrong — they trespassed, stole, and damaged plants after being offered free produce. You escalated to a non-lethal but intensely painful deterrent, which appears to have worked. Ethically, it's understandable to feel schadenfreude watching natural consequences unfold; ethically problematic if those consequences became severe injuries. Your restraint in not posting footage and not involving authorities suggests you don't want to destroy lives over garden theft, which matters.

If you want to move forward with a clear conscience, consider communicating a firm, visible boundary (e.g., a better sign about trespass and surveillance), involve parents calmly again with evidence if needed, or keep only easy-to-harvest produce visible while keeping delicate plants protected. That protects the patch while removing the temptation to escalate defensively.

Here’s how the community might see it:

“They were trespassing and damaging your property — you set a deterrent and it worked. Not an asshole move.”

“Funny outcome but risky. You could have caused real harm — next time pick a safer deterrent or involve parents/police.”

“You tried kindness first and they ignored it. I’d do the same, but maybe check the kids are okay and talk to their parents one more time.”

People will split between amusement/approval for protecting property and concern about proportionality and safety. Both reactions are valid and speak to how community norms and youth behaviour interact with personal boundaries.

🌱 Final Thoughts

You had every reason to protect your patch after repeated theft and vandalism, and your solution stopped the problem. Still, intentionally planting something you know will inflict serious pain has ethical costs, especially where minors are involved. You showed restraint by not publicising the footage or escalating legally, which suggests you wanted deterrence, not damage.

If you’re uncomfortable with what happened, consider safer deterrents going forward (better fencing, visible cameras and signage, community mediation) and one measured outreach to the teens’ parents with the footage privately — not to shame, but to prevent injury and rebuild neighbourhood trust. That way you protect your garden and your conscience.

What would you do?
Is planting the hottest chillies a justified deterrent, or did I cross a line? Share your thoughts and safer alternatives below 👇