Home Security shows you how to make your home unattractive... to burglars!

According to an FBI Uniform Crime Report, a home is burglarized every 12 seconds in the U.S. In fact, one in every 10 homes will be burglarized this year. The good newsæ¢™omes with security systems are three times less likely to be broken into than unarmed homes. Whether you have an alarm or not, the following are 10 ways you can discourage burglars from invading your home.

1 - Burglars hate lights. Make sure your home is well-lit inside and out. Install flood lights with motion sensors to deter theft. Use timers to turn indoor and outdoor lights on when you away from home.

2 - Use it or lose it. Security system decals and yard signs can help, but they alone are not enough. You must keep your home armed when you away.

3 - Even close-knit neighborhoods are susceptible to crime. Be sure to keep doors locked when you not home. And make sure that valuable items cannot be easily seen through windows.

4 - Keep your garage door locked, especially if it attached to your home. Ladders and other tools that can aid burglars should be properly stored.

5 - Maintain a clean-cut image. Trimmed bushes deter criminals who prefer to lurk and work in the shadows. Make sure tree limbs that provide access to windows are trimmed back from the house.

6 - DonæŠ° volunteer information. While a personal touch is nice, putting your name on a mailbox is an easy way for burglars to find out more about you. If youæŠ®e listed, he or she can get your phone number to see if youæŠ®e home. And when it comes to answering machine greetings, never say you arenæŠ° home. Instead say that you cannot get to the phone.

7 - Spare the spare keys. Extra keys left in mailboxes and under doormats are annvitation to burglars.

8 - Keep windows locked when youæŠ®e away from home. Even when itæŠ¯ hot outside, itæŠ¯ better to return to a warm home than a burglarized one.

9 - Opt for sturdy storm doors and deadbolt locks. The more secure your home looks, the less enticing itæŠ£l be to burglars.

10 - Finally, if youæŠ³e been the victim of a recent break-in, take action. Installing an alarm system and securing vulnerable areas is critical. In cases of recent burglaries, thieves are more likely to strike twice because they know you have probably replaced stolen items. And, do not leave empty appliance boxes in plain sight, as they advertise new items in the home.