Townies harvest every plant, all the time [ Edited ]

[RedPixie34]

Product: The Sims 4
Platform: PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Every game, every world.
What is your current game version number?  Updated 4/1/2022 (1.86.157.1030)
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? Every expansion, game pack, and stuff pack, plus half the kits.
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Visit a public area with ripe fruit on any gardening plant. Observe the townies.
What happens when the bug occurs? Townies harvest everything as soon as it becomes available.
What do you expect to see? I expect that only I, the player can direct a sim to harvest anything unless I have enabled something to auto-do it, and then only my played household should be able to auto-harvest. Even paid gardeners shouldn't harvest.
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? I use MC Command Center.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Not sure. The bug has caught my notice since My Wedding Stories.

Do you have any NAPs active that could account for the behavior ?  No. I do not use the NAP system- I have it turned off in my Game Options > Pack Settings preferences.

__________________________________________________________________________

Visitors to my played household stop responding to my sim's chat and walk immediately to every plant on my lot that they can reach and harvests it. I know I can build a fence and gate to keep visitors out, but not every property is large enough to do that, and sometimes flowers are grown in pots on the porch for looks - they are not intended by the player to be harvested at all.
I have every pack, and several kits, and the only mod I run is MCCC.

The problem actually goes one step further: the townies harvest EVERY plant they can, everywhere. I mean townies seek out fruit trees, flowers, veggies and herbs in the world outside and on public lots and collect those too. I can't go pick a tomato in Oasis Springs to bring it home to my garden anymore, because I just watched a townie go pick it. I can't harvest an emotion berry from the trees in the Selvadorado jungle because the townies on the trail beat me to it. I can't actually use the community garden in Henford-On-Bagley or the planters I put on public park lots because the first townie to the scene will grab up the harvestables.

The problem has been going on since My Wedding Stories at least, maybe earlier. I didn't think that much of it at first, as I checked the Neighborhood Action Plans (NAP), and MCCC, and built fences around my plants. But then I started noticing the townies making a beeline for wild plants I was walking toward, beating me to it and harvesting them.  It's happening in every world.

I even looked for a mod to stop this, but no one has made one. maybe no one else has noticed, or maybe it's just me.
I appreciate your eyes on the matter.

[crinrict]

Could you please edit your post and fill out the bug form ? Seems you weren't prompted for it.

Editing should help with that.

If you still aren't prompted, please include this form + answers in your post

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:
Which language are you playing the game in? 
How often does the bug occur? 
What is your current game version number? 
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? 
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? 
What happens when the bug occurs? 
What do you expect to see? 
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods?
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? 

Do you have any NAPs active that could account for the behavior ?

[xochiquetzl_xkvn]

Self-Sufficiency encourages your neighbors to steal your plants.

[RedPixie34]

@xochiquetzl_xkvn I do not have NAP enabled, and just to be safe I vote for Free Love every week until it passes anyway, even though I have NAP effects turned off.

[crinrict]

@RedPixie34 Would you mind sending me your save ? Instructions in my signature

Best would be a state where you have plants shortly before they're ready to be harvestable