The Placentia City Council voted 5–0 last month to ban the feeding of wild animals in public areas—and some private properties—to stop what they said was an overwhelming population of squirrels in the city.

It is unclear when the problem began or how many squirrels are plaguing city resources.

A request for additional information from the city was not returned.

The ordinance also bans the feeding of wild animals—such as bird feeders which can attract squirrels—on private property if doing so creates a nuisance.

“If someone wants to put a bird feeder on the ground and it’s impacting and causing rodents to come, especially if we have condominiums in close proximity to neighbors, the city can act on it,” said one city official during a meeting in March.

According to city officials, the increase in squirrels has had negative impacts on city parks and athletic fields, specifically the abundance of holes in which squirrels burrow, which the city is having a hard time filling every day.

City officials also said they are concerned about potential diseases ground squirrels carry and how they could harm the public.

Champions Park at 505 Jefferson St. has also reportedly had damage to its park lights from squirrels chewing through electrical wires.

The city’s action comes seven months after Fountain Valley expanded rules against feeding wildlife on public property due to coyotes and people’s interactions with them.