Would You Kill Lizards Hanging Around Your House & Pooping?

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The discussion centers around dealing with lizards and possums that invade homes and garages, leaving droppings but also providing pest control by eating insects, including potentially harmful ones like termites. Some participants advocate for leaving these creatures alone due to their ecological benefits, while others express concern about the mess they create. The use of sticky traps to catch lizards is criticized for being inhumane, as it leads to prolonged suffering. The conversation also touches on the complexities of wildlife management, emphasizing the importance of understanding local ecosystems and the potential consequences of removing certain species. The legality of killing wildlife varies by location, and participants suggest exploring non-lethal methods to manage these animals. The ethical implications of animal suffering and the balance of nature are debated, highlighting differing views on the value of various species in the ecosystem. Overall, the thread encourages a thoughtful approach to wildlife interactions, weighing the benefits of natural pest control against the inconveniences caused by these animals.
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  • #62
pinball1970 said:

BillTre said:
Guess that's why Walter Reed has a hospital named after him.

LOL, kind of ironic that they would name a hospital after him...

The workers and engineers still viewed miasma theory (‘bad air’), foul tropical soils, and direct contact with infected persons as the causes of the disease. This lack of knowledge of its entomological transmission route in fact resulted in many disastrous decisions facilitating the disease to spread[3]. For instance, hospital wards in which the afflicted were treated were routinely kept with wide open windows, meaning mosquitos were free to enter, feast upon infected inpatients, and disperse freely to blight the healthy. Even worse, potted plants brought in to improve aesthetics provided females with pools of standing water: a perfect habitat in which to lay their eggs. The French were effectively culturing the disease in the very rooms in which the sick were being treated!

It was US army physician Major Walter Reed who finally demonstrated unequivocally thatAedes aegypti was the vector of the virus, building on the ‘mosquito hypothesis’ proposed by Cuban scientist Carlos Finlay in 1881. This was achieved through an ethically questionable, but simple experiment[5]. A newly emerged A. aegypti mosquito was taken by Reed, allowed to feed on a suffering patient, and then transferred – voluntarily – to his friends and co-workers. When they became sick with Yellow Fever days later (but thankfully surviving) the breakthrough had been made[5]. The Americans now knew how to succeed where the French had failed.
 
  • #63
It was US army physician Major Walter Reed who finally demonstrated unequivocally thatAedes aegypti was the vector of the virus, building on the ‘mosquito hypothesis’ proposed by Cuban scientist Carlos Finlay in 1881. This was achieved through an ethically questionable, but simple experiment[5]. A newly emerged A. aegypti mosquito was taken by Reed, allowed to feed on a suffering patient, and then transferred – voluntarily – to his friends and co-workers. When they became sick with Yellow Fever days later (but thankfully surviving) the breakthrough had been made[5]. The Americans now knew how to succeed where the French had failed.

I view this as the guy was in the army and had a mission of dealing with yellow fever.
Seems like a very military approach to me.
 
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  • #64
kyphysics said:
We get these lizard things (not sure if it's a lizard or some close reptile cousin) hanging around the sides of house and inside the garage (never inside the actual home). They leave poop everywhere.

I've caught a bunch with sticky traps. They walk across it and get stuck on them. They starve to death and die and we throw them away. I told this to a neighbor and he said he leaves them alone, because they eat the annoying bugs around you - even termites (which we think we NOW HAVE - as I found what seems to be a mud tube and a freaking small bug with white-ish wings near it).

So, for him, it's an easy trade-off. Less bugs and possibly even termi te prevention vs. lizard poop (which he can just clean up like dog poop).

Same question holds for possums. They are clumsy, shy, and weird looking animals. Yet, they eat all the really bad bugs around the neighborhood. Run them off our property or let them "hang out" to kill the annoying bugs?
No. I will catch the lizards and release them, and have an inspector find any holes in my garage. Plus lizards consume bugs which could be even worse. Let nature take its course.
 
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  • #65
To answer the original question -- no I would not kill a lizard that happens to be pooping around my house. The most I would probably do would be to do what I can to take measures to prevent lizards from entering my house, to the best of my ability.

This story brought me back memories of a time many years ago, when I was living in an apartment in a city southwest of Toronto. The apartment was nice enough, but there were a small flock of pigeons that loved to perch on my balcony, and leave behind their poop. I eventually called in a specialist, who cleaned the balcony thoroughly and installed netting to prevent the birds from returning. Fortunately, the landlord covered the cost.
 
  • #66
DaveC426913 said:
I struggle with this too.

I prefer to think that my compassion for lower animals isn't about their pain so much as it is about me unable to turn off my empathy (i.e. I am projecting).
To be brutally honest I sometimes feel like this about humans I genuinely do not like (for whatever reasons, from pheromones to political and philosophical disagreements).

Being Human | Robert Sapolsky (Check out around 23:50 in.)

I think we should count ourselves really lucky that (those of of who aren't outright sociopaths) have empathy; even for other species.

And then, "ironically", things like genocides occur anyway. It's a mystery to man (sic)....
 
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  • #67
I don't think opossums see very well. I've seen some people keep them as pets. What makes me especially fond of them is they like to eat ticks. Their 'playing dead' is apparently an involuntary response to threats. They seem mostly harmless to humans. Some can be quite adorable.
 
  • #68
jack action said:
Before killing an animal, you may want to refer to your local laws. Here's an example about squirrels in Ontario:
Go with a rule: Treat them like you want us Off Worlders to treat you
jack action said:
Is it? This is assuming mosquitos are "evil" and play no other role than to kill humans. Very unlikely based on simple observations and errors committed in the past, trying to "correct" nature.


It is you who considers the low worth of mosquitos in comparison to humans. It is a dangerous path to take. How many people need to die from one life form for one to decide to eradicate that life form? If one values human life above all, isn't a single human death enough? Comparing one individual with another is one thing, comparing one life form over another is vastly different.

I thought the great lesson learned was that diversity rules and we all depend on each other, even beyond the animal kingdom.
Go with a rule: Treat them like you want us Off Worlds's to treat you... Grin on that sweet....hehe
 

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