I Don’t Kill So Many Bugs Anymore

I Don’t Kill So Many Bugs Anymore

I thought about this on my way out of the house this morning. A pretty big black ant was walking across the driveway, minding his own business, and I stepped over him. I’ve never been one to squish ants on purpose anyway, but not to long ago I read an essay bemoaning the arrogance of humans who go out of their way to step on bugs because we’re just, well, bigger and we can do it.

Obviously, if bugs were the same size as we are, we wouldn’t step on them.

I’ve always been cautious about ladybugs – I’ll take them outside and shake them off gently. And, there are lots of other bugs that don’t bother me. June bugs are all right, because they stay outside. I like lightning bugs, and I’m always glad to see them. There don’t seem to be so many as there used to be. One theory is that light pollution makes it harder for them to see each other and find someone to mate with.

Mating does not seem to be a problem with those nasty little red fire ants. I do kill them. I also draw the line at roaches and termites.

I’m on a live-and-let live status with flies outside, but they cannot come inside. (When we were kids, my sister and I trapped a few flies that were annoying us between the screen and the window in our bedroom. A few days later, the WHOLE WINDOW – it seemed – was full of nascent flies making a frightening noise. Our poor, long-suffering father had to come up and handle the matter.)

I was feeling really very good about all of this, but I just remembered mosquitos. It would seem that I am delicious to them. My whole life, squads of mosquitos have lined up to attack me. If mosquitos have a “Most Wanted” poster board anywhere, my face is on it. I kill them without a second thought.

It’s worth thinking about, in my opinion, this business of which creatures you are willing to snuff and which you are not. It would appear that there are plenty of humans who are willing to step on anything or anybody, without a moment of consideration.