The one animal I would eradicate from the planet...

   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #1  

Sigarms

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Mid north west in the state of N.C
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As I've gotton older, I'm not so much into killing things as I once had.

I'm at the point that if I'm driving, I'll help a turtle across the road or slow down for pretty much any animal if it's in the middle of the road (this morning, honking the horn for 3 Guinea hens who seem as smart as a box of rocks on the road).

I'll kill for food when I need it, but always give thanks for the sacrifice so I can eat. Hunted a lot when I was younger, now I'd rather get a great shot with the camera.

Don't get me wrong, last week had to get rid of a copperhead laying directly around the house that wouldn't move and I couldn't get to (first time in a while I used my Ruger lite with can, and it worked wonders for close up work), but for the most part, even in the back fields if I come across the same kind copperhead, I'll try to leave them be.

One thing I can't stand though is yellow jackets.

Wife got stung about 5 times in the garden yesterday. We will dispatch that ground hive tonight that she found by one of the raised beds.

Later yesterday, mowing a sidehill that I do ever so often every couple of weeks, I ended up getting stung by 7 different ones. Thing is, they are so vicious IMO anytime I've come across them. I got out of the area fast on the mower, and trying to drive a twin stick while trying to kill them with one arm off the stick makes for interesting driving going downhill pretty fast LOL It wasn't until about 75 yards and I got back to the house that they weren't around me anymore. I went up with the truck today (windows close), but couldn't exactly find where the ground nest was.

Both my wife and I were very sore last night.

Wifes Grandmothers brother was killed by yellow jackects back in the 30's or 40's. Wife was told that her grandmothers brother was stung so many times, they had to have a large casket due to the size of the body after all the stings.

Funny, out back mowing a field today, and I've mowed that field many times, never worried. Today, I was getting kind of freaked out by all the grasshoppers landing on me and every once in while biting me (sorry, forwhatever reasons, grasshoppers do bite more than naught IMO when mowing LOL).

I know God put animals on this earth for a reason, and although I can't stand snakes personally, they play a pretty big role in the Big book, but yellow jackets I have no clue why they are on this earth.

Thing about yellow jackets is I generally look up at the trees (as I've come across them mowing this way more than a couple of times), but when they are in the ground, it's like walking across a dormant minefield that you never think of until you hit them.

Perhaps I'd feel the sameway about hogs, but thankfully we don't have that problem LOL
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #2  
^^^ Pollinators.


These things pollinate too, but they'll chase a Hummingbird off the feeder ....

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They'll make me swell up like not much else will too.
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #3  
Yeah, yellowjackets are very beneficial insects... until they're stinging the bajeezers out of you!

They eat mostly other insects, but do like the sugary drinks and such. So, it's one of those things that you like to live and let live, but sometimes you just have to be safe.
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #4  
Mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and other disease carrying insects would on the top of my list of things we could do without...!
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet...
  • Thread Starter
#5  
They eat mostly other insects, but do like the sugary drinks and such. So, it's one of those things that you like to live and let live, but sometimes you just have to be safe.
You step on a snake, the snake will bite you. I get the defensive part of protecting yourself.

Step on a snake and move away, the snake won't chase you.

Yellow jackets will chase you for a good distance.

To me, that's the difference...
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #6  
Besides pollinating they also eat a lot of other insects including many that are agricultural pests. I would not wipe out the species but a nest where people can step on it is a bad deal.

They will burrow into houses too. Not long after we moved the mountains I kept hearing very faint chewing sounds in the bedroom I was using as an office. My wife heard nothing and told me I was imagining it. Then yellowjackets started coming out of the drywall, like in a horror movie. I taped over the holes (that was exciting, especially since they were at the top of a 12' wall so I was on a ladder) and called an exterminator.

Yellowjackets won't chase nearly as hard as africanized honeybees. You can walk 50 or 100' and yellowjackets will leave you alone. I had those bees chase me for a good 1/4 mile, and I was running.
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #8  
I was killing those orange wasps all day today. They're about the size of a small humming bird down here. As soon as I killed one, two more would show up. I think they were after spiders. They don't seem to be as aggressive as yellow jackets but I don't like them buzzing around when I'm working on a tractor. Probably because they don't fear anything. o_O I went through two cans of Black Flag and dispatched 8 or 9 of them just this morning. I lost count.

Not many yellow jackets left around here this time of the year. I don't like those either. I had 5-6 hit me in the face when I disturbed a nest behind the house siding. One crawled up my nose and was hanging on stinging until I whacked myself in the nose to dislodge him. Hateful critters. I kill all I see around where I need to be.

I don't see as many rattle snakes any more. But, I've killed two coral snakes this year. First I've seen those here.
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #9  
We call them European Wasps and one sting is an ambulance trip to hospital for me, they cost me $130 a year for an epipen, I have not been stung since the mid 80's and one got me 3 times on my back, I would love to see them eradicated.
 
   / The one animal I would eradicate from the planet... #10  
I have often thought about if I were God, where did I get a little carried away:)

Ticks and leaches would be my choices, but, good choices above as well.

Best,

ed
 
 
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