If you're keen on attracting wildlife into your garden, you might think about setting up a bird feeder or putting out small bowls of water for animals such as hedgehogs to enjoy.
But while it's fine to put food out for animals on your own property, it's not usually a good idea to start chucking food over your fence into your neighbour's garden without at least asking them if it's okay first.
That's exactly what one mum online has claimed her neighbour is doing though, as she said she noticed the woman who lives next door to her dropping scraps of tomatoes, bread, and bananas over the fence and onto the mum's property.
When questioned about her actions, the woman told the mum she was doing it to "feed the birds".
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The mum then told the woman that she has dogs on specific diets that shouldn't be eating random scraps of food left on the ground, but the woman didn't seem to "care" - and has kept throwing food over the fence.
In a post on Mumsnet, the mum claimed: "I recently moved to a nice big house in the countryside. The plot is about 0.3 acres with the fences surrounded by very tall cypresses - so no direct contact between neighbours.
"As I was walking around the plot one day I saw that one part was full of food scraps. Tomatoes, bread, bananas etc. Opposite that part, there is a house. Then I saw a very old lady bending over my part of the fence (on my property).
"I asked her what she was doing, she admitted that she lives in the house and that she is throwing the scraps to feed the birds. I explained to her that first, she can't throw rubbish in my house, and second and most important, I have small breed dogs on a strict diet and it will be very bad for their health if they accidentally eat the scraps.
"I don’t believe she cares at all because we are still finding scraps. I have no idea how to handle this."
Commenters on the Mumsnet post agreed that the woman was wrong to throw food into the mum's garden, but many said the easiest solution would be to throw them back over the fence.
One person said: "Absolutely put it back over. There's no reason she can't feed the birds on her side of the fence."
While another added: "I would check if anyone else lives there you can speak to. Otherwise, throw it back. I'm sure she'll get the message eventually."
And a third posted: "Just scoop it up like others have said and dump it back."
But other commenters sympathised with the neighbour and said the best plan would be to try and speak to someone else who lives in the house.
Someone said: "Maybe go to the front door, with the scraps, and see if there is anyone else available to talk to."
As someone else added: "As she doesn't live there alone, I’d also go knock on the door and speak to any other adults there and tell them to stop her from dumping food waste in your garden."
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