Email from readers

Our readers have sent in some questions/comments that I think are worth relaying to everyone. Names have been withheld to protect them from persecution.

"Shoot down those who stand and pee in the open. The force of the jet from hip level has killed millions more ants than jackboots. "

I agree...besides it would be fun to watch them fall with their flies open.

"Dear Sirs, I think that I have done a very bad thing, and so I feel that I must beg your collective forgiveness in advance. I have just slaughtered what must have been like a couple hundred innocent ants. I am sure that they died screaming in agony...that is not to say that I actually heard their tiny voices, but I can imagine that if they had voices they would in fact have been tiny and screaming in horror. The worst part is that to my knowledge they were not doing anything inherently wrong or bothersome. It was just something that I was taught to do with relish. However, thanks to your web-site, I now see the error of my ways and have become most penitent. Is there anyway that I can redeem myself? Am I a Bad Person? Is there an organization that cares for the families of insects that have been needlessly murdered, and if so, how can I help. My hands are covered in insect blood." -(Name withheld)

Ok the first step is admitting you are at fault, now you must pay the price for your actions. I would suggest holding a weekly picnic near the spot where you did this evil deed, and in penitence for your transgressions, liberate at least one ant farm. This of course will not absolve you of your sins, but it will help the remainder of the poor souls that have lost members of their families....and for christ's sake wash your hands!

"I too have seen the senseless slaughter of our little bug-eyed friends. Yes, I have been on picnics and watched the so-called "family time" turned into a ritualistic rampage of murder and mayhem, teaching the ideals of killing and torture to our younger generations. That is despicable. Bugs have hearts too. Some of them. And families. Nothing is sadder than little orphaned bugs forced to face the cruel world without adult supervision...little wonder their little lives often go SPLAT!!! against the windshield of life. Perhaps I can do my small part to help the fight against eradication (uh, after mosquito season maybe) and we can all sleep well at night...armed only with a flyswatter for extreme emergencies. Uh, so long, and don't let the bedbugs bite. Best wishes", (Name witheld)

So true. We all have to do our part to help educate the masses against teaching our young to carry on the slaughter. About waiting till mosquito season is over...Pull yourself together! We all have to give a little blood for the causes we deem worthwhile! I certainly hope that the flyswatter will be used against those mistreating insects and not against our little friends! By the way...I always let the bedbugs bite as a part of my unselfishness. So friend...put away that flyswatter, get rid of the mosquito repellant, and make your contribution!

"I read the article about you by Stan Hollowell in Saturday's paper. No offense or anything, but was that a joke? You can go ahead and protect bugs, the Constitution still allows it, but I don't know if many citizens are going to be protecting bugs. So maybe you think a mosquito is a bug. Okay, go ahead, protect him but when he gets to me he's gonna die because I personally believe that mosquitoes are actually little devils, possibly vampires. You want us to boycott the ag business? I live on milk. No way am I gonna boycott the ag business, although you can boycott it if you want. Also, you told everyone "don't clean, for where there is filth there are healthy bugs." If I don't clean, I'll die, I have allergies to all things bugs love. You said eat bats(how low can you stoop to find something to eat?). Plus, if someone doesn't like bats eating bugs, he/she needs to quit eating because bugs are a bat's meal. Anyway, I am planning on being a bat breeder because bats are a thing of God, getting rid of devilish mosquitos, gnats(even more devilish, those annoying things), and who knows what. Okay, my blood might be a mosquitos meal, but at least when humans eat we don't leave big itching welts on a living person. You at least hinted that we all need to protect fleas. 4 words:I love my dog. I respect some bugs that don't really bother people unless people bother them(wasps, hornets, etc.>. And the honeybee, honey tastes real good. And spiders, I love spiders.I am basically a bug hater. You can go on being a bug lover, but others will go on being bug haters. Consider the above a commentary with no intents of offending bug lovers." (Name witheld)

I bet you pulled the wings off of flys when you were young and laughed with glee ...didn't you? All I can say BUDDY is what goes around comes around..(or ...errr...something like that) and I hope you will have your arms pulled out of their sockets by some insect like alien from another planet while they giggle their alien type giggle. The insects shall have their revenge! Ever heard of...EL NINO? The lastest reports say that insect populations will rise due to the warmer climate. So prepare yourself...this year you will be sucked dry! AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO!

"In VERmont (Yankees say verMONT} the beatiful, but tiny black fly emerges from its cacoon in late winter (that's June in VERmont). "Blackie", as he (there are no females and that is why they are so mean) is affectionately know among the anti-insecticidists, is very thirsty and cold and desperately needs a drink of warm blood in order to survive. His natural predator the innocent , but much maligned mosquito, is also after the same source of nurishment and those same blue-blooded (Blackie prefers blue-blood), yellow-bellied Yankees that showed their lack of Southern hospitality at Gettysburg, have without compassion, tried to obliterate these our friendly, needled nose invaders that were first imported by General Lee and "innocently" left behind while he briefly visited Pennsylvania in 1865. For over thirty years, having slipped behind enemy lines and engaging in counter-espinage activities in VERmont I took up the plight of the "Black Fly", that endearing little creature who was involved in "pay back" time in memory of Robert E. Lee. I, sold "SAVE THE BLACK FLY" bumper stickers for $1.00 per but met with no sympathy from those same northeners who have left "Blackie" to fend for himself and who are the same frustrating people who drive so slow in NC. Having finished my successful covert mission (convinced that the South will rise again), I returned to the land of "milk and honey" but sadly found that the Black Fly is prohibited by law from entering North Carolina. I miss my little friendly fellows but I do not despair for them because I have now found the IRA and I know that our cause will prevail." (Name Witheld)

Fellow IRA member...now this is the kind of unselfish behavior desperatly needed in this organization! You are hereby awarded the coveted EspionageStatus Membership. I always have a hard time with those damn yankees driving slow too, even though slow speeds help save insect life, I still have the uncontrolable urge to run over all Cadillacs with New York tags with my Monster 4X4 truck and let my hunt dawg piss on thier tires. The South WILL rise again!!!!!

"Dear IRA people, You are all evil, you mock the death of insects, they have families to you know. Insects are friendly creatures of God, we should stop this genocide and save them, let them become friends of the people, welcome them into our homes, especially ants - ants are very caring really. See the light - unite and be friends. Yours faithfully, A.N. Ant Member of the Ant Awareness Association (AAA) Founder of A.N.T. "(Ant National Trust)

Mock? Thou thinkest we mock? HUMPH! Some of our upstanding members have laid down their lives in the quest for insect rights! Let us not fight each other but unite in a singular front against anteaters and aardvarks everywhere! (makes mental note to add that to the page) United we stand...divided we crawl.

Weevil2 President and founder of the IRA

"I remember as a small child growing up in the Midwest, often the entree of our family meals were made of of insects. I've had to live with this guilt for years. To this day I can't look a grasshopper in the eyes without feeling I must do something to set this horrible wrong right. Sometimes I"m ashamed to be a human being. I'm so glad to have found your site because for years I have been desparately trying to find a way to stop the senseless murders of thousands of unsuspecting insects being killed daily by careless drivers on thier car windshields. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. Maybe now I can get you and your members to help me in getting something done about this crime against nature. If we would each send just one letter to our congressman, I feel they could not simply ignore the concrens of half a dozen or so people across the country. Please let me know if I can help in any way." (Name Withheld)

Great idea! Let's all write to our congressmen to advocate insect rights. Don't know your congressman's e-mail address?

Click here

"After visiting your site, I am in angst recalling all of the heartless, selfish acts that I have committed against the insect world. I confess, I am an entomologist who has devoted his career to finding ways to slaughter the poor, helpless, innocent insect. Although I claim I am only trying to better understand them, it is a thinly veiled excuse for torture and inhumane acts. I am not worthy of the degree bestowed upon me. Please, forgive me...it is only now that I realize what I have done is wrong. Take care" (Name Withheld)

Geez man repent! Take some hints from this next e-mail for some more humane ways of treating insects during the process of mounting. At least you see the errors of your ways.

"Hey, I have been a bug activist for years. After reading your e mail,I sent a letter to Detroit and told them to put their stupid windshields at the rear of the cars and trucks instead of the front. So that should solve the problem. When it comes to eating little insects, when I was in China I always scraped off the little insects before I ate the big ones. Yes, the practice of mounting insects with pins in itself is a despicable. I use duck tape, in that way they stay alive a little longer. Oh,Oh, here comes that fellow in the white jacket, must be time for me to eat or something. Sign me up in your group. Do I have to come to meetings or anything like that? Because it is very hard for me to get out of here with all those bars and things on the windows. But a few of us have a plan that should work. We are going to buy a TV for the staff and only have re runs of Dragnet, they should be asleep in a hour or so and then we can all just walk out and be on our way to your house to help you in any way we can. Looking forward to seeing you. KEEP THE LIGHT ON. Someone told me my light must have gone out years ago. Do you have your light on? Eddie aka #68"

You don't have to go to meetings to become a member but may I suggest you become a polititian? Considering your fine background you would be a great one as well as being able to provide us with some much needed higher ups in Washington as a way to get laws passed to protect the insects. But of course if you can't get out of there you could always become a lobbyist.

"Why hello. I thought I would look at your site considering it was in Yahoo Magazine. Please..killing bugs is not the end of the world! They cause many problems when they just bite a human. There's nothing wrong with eating bugs either, good source of protein. Windshields? Am I suppose to take my windshield out of my car? This is ridiculous! It's nice u want to save tiny creatures, but get real."

You need to get real. The protocol for protecting bugs from windsheilds is clearly laid out in the "What you can do to help" section.

"I do everything in my power to protect the poor, be-trodden insects in this cruel, thoughtless, world. Just to show you the steps I take to make life easier for those insects I come in contact with, I provide the following story: I live in Arizona where it is really hot right now. I have a group of hard-working black ants who keep my yard clean, particularly under the bird feeder where lots of seed hulls fall to the ground. In doing so however, they have to cross a sidewalk which, of course, burns their tiny feet this time of year. At first I tried to cool the cement down with a stream of water, but to my dismay I discovered that ants aren't very good swimmers. The best solution I've found so far is to put a picnic table umbrella over the part of the sidewalk they use, thus shading them from the hot Arizona sun. The sidewalk is in front of my gate, so to protect their precious lives, I put up a sign that says, "absolutely no visitors". I don't get much company anymore, but the sacrifice is worth it."

Now here is someone who unselfishly goes out of her way to protect our little friends! Take some notes folks.

Read the disclaimer first!