I have dogs. Dogs are great. And a sign that reads "We can make it to the fence in 3 seconds....can you?"
Which is pretty silly considering my ancient lab and friendly little Amer. Eskimo, but the barking and the sign are enough.
However, the webcams seem an excellent idea. Why not also keep an eye on your doors and your garage where all your expensive Joshua Roth tools are stored?
Webcams would also show you if a squirrel bent on mischief or a neighborhood cat looking for a litterbox are in your yard.
If you pointed a webcam at a thermometer and something that gauges humidity and windspeed, and had a remote to turn on some misters or whatever, you could even control to some degree the conditions your trees are living under while you are on vacation or at that three day Bonsai conference. How about an automatic device to deploy the shade cloth if the days get hotter than expected? And as far as scaring off the tree thieves, how about a horn/siren that you could activate remotely? If anything, that should be easier than the webcam itself, right?
(I'm not kidding here....have seen some very expensive model homes with similar devices....remotely controlled gadgets. Love it!! Geeks rule!! All of these things are within reach for someone who likes to tinker.)
Joanie