You can't choose your family, and sometimes you can't even get them to listen to you. One teenager has been waging war with their grandfather over the care of the backyard and local ecosystem. 

In a post shared on the r/f***lawns subreddit, the teen vented their frustrations with their grandfather, who seemed obsessed with weeding, mowing, and poisoning their yard with pesticides and herbicides. 

Not only is this habit causing the banks of their little pond to erode, but the OP thinks it could be killing their own rabbits and chickens.

The OP included a photo that shows the edge of their pond, as well as some of their house and lawn. In the foreground, viewers can see a wash of rocks and pebbles, along with a rim of rocks along the lawn, with much of the pond edge tapering off into dirt. 

The OP added, "Now the pond refuses to fill all the way up because the lack of plants holding the soil is causing holes in the dam, and now the hills on BOTH sides of the waterfalls are eroding!!!"

Unfortunately, the trouble doesn't end there, as the OP explained that these destructive habits reach far beyond their own yard. Their pond leads into a much larger waterway, so spraying so many chemicals around their lawn could be affecting the entire watershed. 

They have also tried to discourage the grandfather's constant mowing and explained the importance of pollinators and other beneficial "pests," all to no avail. 

However, there is some hope on the horizon, as their grandfather is currently recovering from surgery, and the OP has been working on a scheme to grow pumpkins in a less visible area of the lawn. They are hoping that less mowing, the benefits of the plants, and the joy of the fruit will allow the whole family to see that their destructive streak comes at a cost.

Reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides is beneficial to you and your local ecosystem. Chemicals can leach into soil and water and cause downstream problems. The National Wildlife Federation blog stated that these chemicals can be "highly toxic to fish and can degrade or even completely destroy aquatic ecosystem health." 

The best thing to do is learn to live with your local wildlife, and there are natural deterrents for certain issues. But, choosing to embrace the chaos and biodiversity of a wild lawn may be the best thing for you and your local flora and fauna. 

Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly 😥 Sometimes 😟 Not really 😐 I don't know enough about them 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Opting for a natural lawn will save you time and money by reducing the time spent on maintenance and the cost of products needed to keep grass green. 

Regular use of chemicals is all too common, but the Reddit community was quick to validate the OP's feelings. 

One person suggested looking at local laws: "In Canada there are very strict laws about using herbicides and other chemicals near riparian areas. Depending on your jurisdiction, he could get in a lot of trouble if someone reports it."

Though the OP was concerned about fines, this struck a chord. 

"Maybe if I call Fish and Wildlife about the chemicals he's putting into the water, they could do something," they responded. "I would have to check the fines on that, though; we can't afford to lose a lot of money."

Someone else shared their experience with an eroded pond, writing, "Some idiot in the neighborhood just did this because he was tired of looking at it. There's a six-foot-wide canal behind it; now the street floods."

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