Residents and business owners in San Francisco's Glen Park said they have been overwhelmed by birds, mice and rats in the past few months.
Many of the residents and business owners believe a big part of the reason can be tied to who they refer to as the "birdseed lady." The resident has been spotted repeatedly dumping piles of bird seed throughout the neighborhood.
"The amount of bird seed that she's dropping, sometimes multiple times a day, is 15 to 30 pounds of bird seed," said Janet Tarlov, Glen Park Merchant's Association president. "And I know that because I've personally been sweeping up after her for two years."
Tarlov showed NBC Bay Area photos of the piles of bird seed she often cleans up. She even started weighing it, with one photo showing she swept up nearly 26 pounds of bird seed.
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Another resident shared a photo of a woman standing in front of her garage, where she fills a trolly cart with bags of seed and heads out.
Many said the birds swarming the neighborhood are annoying, but it is the rodents the seed is attracting that are creating real problems.
The big concern for the neighborhood business association is that at least one store has already been shut down by the San Francisco Department of Public Health for 24 hours because of rodents.
It is illegal in San Francisco to feed wild animals in public, but neighbors said it has been difficult to get the woman to stop.
Tarlov said her city supervisor and police have been responsive the last few weeks. But officers have not spotted the woman actually spreading the seed, so they have not cited her.
"I just want her to stop, and I want her to get the help she so clearly needs," Tarlov said.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health confirmed it is also in contact with the woman. NBC Bay Area on Thursday also attempted to make contact with the resident.
"The person has been and is currently connected to health services," San Francisco Department of Public Health said in a statement. "We continue to outreach to offer support and engage the person in additional health services."
The department said it also has hired a pest control company, which is working with the neighborhood this week.
