Resident makes shocking discovery after peeking over fence into neighbor's yard: 'This was what greeted us'

The quality of life and standard of living continue to decline in the U.S. According to CBS, more than 60% of households struggle to afford basic necessities, and maintaining a tidy home requires significant time and effort.

These circumstances often lead to mental health issues, which in turn can develop into hoarding and a lack of follow-through, causing animals and bugs to increase in homes.

One citizen began to notice an increase in vermin in their backyard, which prompted a search to find its source. They posted their findings in the r/MildlyInfuriating subreddit.

"The current state of our neighbor's backyard. For some background, we live in attached townhomes and lately have been seeing rats and skunks come into our yard from the next yard over. And when we peaked over their fence this was what greeted us. This neighbor also has a 1 year old kid."

The pictures attached show a backyard littered with trash. It is unclear what led the neighbors to allow their yard to get to this state — and whether or not the trash had been accumulating or if rats or raccoons had caused havoc soon before the images were taken.

Food waste attracts raccoons, rats, and roaches, which can transmit diseases. These animals also leave droppings, which are toxic to humans and pets, and contribute to a nutrient imbalance in your garden.

Most commercial exterminators use toxic rodenticide, which is horrible for the environment, humans, and pets. If you want to address rodents on your land without using chemicals, you can use non-toxic mixtures or other visual or sound deterrents, according to Hungry Owls.

If this neighbor is able-bodied, it is important that they sort their trash and recycling so that it's sent to the right facilities to avoid microplastics accumulating in our waterways and landfills, and avoid infestations.

Redditors were supportive of the neighbor while also recognizing that mental health may be the cause of the mess.

"As someone who once had rats in their home, I would recommend you start actively trying to trap the rats. You should also call your city's code enforcement," one user commented.

Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Yes — often 😬 Yes — but only sometimes 😕 Only when it's bad outside 😮‍💨 No — I never do 😌 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Depression sucks. Sometimes all it takes is a nice neighbor," another encouraged.

"Report them to codes. If vermin are being attracted then it's a sanitation and safety issue considering how closely packed your homes are," another Redditor added.

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