So I’m reading on a permaculture site ( you know, that permies site that is supposed to be so big) about people — I should say children– who want to kill everything they
A) don’t like.
B) Are afraid of
C) Think are creepy
D) Are ignorant of
E) All of the above
I work around water features which often have bees and wasps and Yellowjackets tanking up in the summertime. I walk in and out of clouds of maybe 10 to 100 insects at one time and they don’t even look sideways at me they’re busy doing their thing. And one time I reached down and picked up one of my tools and a bee stung me. I had squashed it as I picked up the tool.
Sure it freaking hurt. No I did not get mad at the bee. If I had a stinger and my life flashed before my eyes I’d probably use it too. Poor bee, been working hard all its life and some idiot squashed it. It really hurt for about 15 minutes but my auto insurance rates did not go up :-)
I am a microbiologist I have had several classes in immunology. The number of people who insist that they are allergic to bee stings is statistically incredible. If you get stung and a lump forms and it hurts — even if it _really_ hurts ^Yell at the computer mode on^ it does not mean you’re allergic. ^Yell at the computer mode off^ If you get stung and a lump forms and it hurts and the doctor tells you that you’re allergic to bee stings ^Yell at the computer mode on^ They might just be covering their butt. Because you insist that you’re allergic.^Yell at the computer mode off^
It’s like people are proud of being allergic. It is the Red Badge of Courage to be allergic to bee stings. Because that way people can rationalize about being afraid of something that is 1000 their size. Well when I was 8 I was afraid of wasps too. I’m not 8 anymore.
Everybody who wants to kill stinging insects because they’re afraid…. of being stung. Are you going to stop driving and walk everywhere now? Which is sort of a better response on a permaculture site anyway :-)
And to be on a permaculture site asking about the best way to kill them or just saying that killing them is the best way to deal with them is sort of like saying I’m a vegetarian but I’m not going to give up my bacon and eggs for breakfast and my hamburgers for lunch but I definitely want to tell everyone that I’m a vegetarian. Sigh.