Has anyone managed to get land mines working?

I've been playing with setting up mine fields around settlements but they just vanish when I leave the area.

There also pretty useless when you have a companion who insists on running over every single one you plant to clear a nice path for the enemy.

Is there anyway to program them like traps to only go off on hostile?

They don't work as long term defenses, so don't bother. As for using them effectively in combat, might as well dump your companion or else command them to stay away before you go into battle. They are just a pain. Used properly as ambush weapons, they are very effective. Especially bottlecap mines

Nuke mine is best mine.

Also, mines are extremely effective against beasts. Against humanoid targets that use ranged weaponry they're useless.

It feels as if mines were made expressly for combat with beasts.

It's the same with how grenades are kind of a [censored] to use with beasts but are really easy to use against static ranged targets.

Companions don't set off mines though?...

Anyway, I like to set a mine or two down if I see some melee enemies in the distance. Set down a mine, pop off a shot, and back up fast. Or if my companions tells me how eerily quiet it is - that's generally a hint that enemies are going to ambush us, so throwing down some potatoes inside of doorways and stuff is good practice.

I find myself using mines in this game way more often than in 3 o New Vegas. It's nice.

At low levels I've used them to fight powerful enemies. Set up a string of mines along my retreat path then start shooting at the enemy, retreating and luring the idiot through the mines to soften him up.

Also, I love mines against Mirelurks. Since the blast comes from underneath them, their shell is no use and it usually cripples their legs. (Crippling legs is also super handy for some of the beefier Ferals)

Yeah I used that tactic on taking the castle. But I had to reload 4 or 5 times because the minutemorrons kept running in to the breach every time I set them up.

I filled that place with landmines in preparation for the big battle there after the initial wave of Mirelurks. They were a huge help, but there were still some left after the battle that I couldn't find. Some of the new settlers did, though...

That's because everything seems to fall though the floor everywhere in the game then randomly pop back up for no apparent reason...