# Extinction! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608 "2015-01-22T19:18:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/41 "2015-01-23T02:07:25Z")
> [@straight\_doped](#): > > cats. > > they have ruined the internet. Cats _are_ the internet. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/42 "2015-01-23T02:13:44Z")
Fleas. They serve NO purpose but to annoy. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/43 "2015-01-23T02:27:32Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Fleas. They serve NO purpose but to annoy. Last summer, my friend’s cat had a litter of kittens and fleas killed all of the little guys. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/44 "2015-01-23T02:34:45Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I’d like to second/third bedbugs. They’re a big problem in a lot of places these days, and I don’t think many people would miss them. We just got rid of a bedbug infestation **in our library**. They had to bring in bug-sniffing beagles and portable heat tents to sterilize the furniture. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/45 "2015-01-23T03:23:06Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Last summer, my friend’s cat had a litter of kittens and fleas killed all of the little guys. ☹ Fleas are that powerful?? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/46 "2015-01-23T03:38:45Z")
Spiders. Because FUCK SPIDERS ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/47 "2015-01-23T04:42:48Z")
In my neck of the woods, you welcome mosquitos since you can actually kill them. I would get rid of the black flies. Oh how I hate those things. They leave big, bloody welts on you. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![vomit\_comet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/73ab20/32.png) [@vomit\_comet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vomit_comet)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/48 "2015-01-23T05:45:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I’m not looking up bedbugs and roaches. **I don’t want to know why they’re essential**. Bedbugs keep yu clean between the toes, roaches keep you clean between the legs. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/49 "2015-01-23T05:50:52Z")
Yes, nature’s douchbags are certainly mosquitoes… I’ll go with the candiru fish. Yes, to swim upstream through piss might sound magnificent and laudable, but I don’t see how the ecosystem could possibly be affected. We may have more catfish to catch! ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/50 "2015-01-23T06:03:55Z")
> [@flight](#): > > The [Quokka](http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/selfie-friendly-animal.jpg). They are too cute to live. Quokkas aren’t too bad. They will sneak into your tent and eat your food (but leave a whole lot of little licorice all-sorts as replacements), but they don’t generally use their Cutsie-Powers for evil. I’m for the eradication of certain spiders - of the particular species _Ginormous McFuckbastards_. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/51 "2015-01-23T10:24:56Z")
Mosquitoes suck. Fuck them and the wind they came in on. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/52 "2015-01-23T13:08:52Z")
[Pinchingbugs.](https://www.google.com/search?q=pseudolucanus+capreolus&newwindow=1&biw=1280&bih=832&tbm=isch&imgil=Ch-maFZ2IFPbUM%253A%253B9zv3Box-x_tKuM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.billjohnsonbeyondbutterflies.com%25252Fmeet-the-beetles%25252Freddish-brown-stag-beetle-pseudolucanus-capreolus-11_21_377.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Ch-maFZ2IFPbUM%253A%252C9zv3Box-x_tKuM%252C_&usg=__Z7kcMC_lBkvdox5txhqGCRZ0nEc%3D&ved=0CDAQyjc&ei=p0fCVMW-M4eWgwSlj4OIBg#imgdii=_&imgrc=ROfJMaPcUP1_9M%253A%3BENIR9Hklh4z-jM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.marietta.edu%252F~biol%252Fbiomes%252Fimages%252Fdeciduous%252Fpseudolucanus_capreolus_0004.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.marietta.edu%252F~biol%252Fbiomes%252Fpredation.htm%3B500%3B359) Little buggers terrorized me as a child. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/53 "2015-01-23T13:30:57Z")
Get rid of the chimps. Do it now before it’s too late. Based on several documentaries released since the 1960s they’re the only species which has any chance of overcoming the humans. Think of your grandchildren, enslaved by talking chimps!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/54 "2015-01-23T13:37:07Z")
Malaria is spread by one species of mosquitos, so those are they guys who are on my hit list. Vongrats, we have now just eliminated one of the world’s greatest killers of children and massively increased productivity in areas where people are sapped of their vitality by chronic malaria. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/55 "2015-01-23T13:46:57Z")
Water moccassins. I hate it when you’re trying to swim in a pond or river and they bite you in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/56 "2015-01-23T13:47:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Fleas are that powerful?? Flea bite anemia can certainly be fatal in neonates. [sub]I won’t rant about unnecessary litters from flea-ridden cats, I swear![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/57 "2015-01-23T13:48:15Z")
I know I am going to take hell for this, but I select the Puritan Tiger Beetle. Here is a little light reading on the subject: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/24/AR2010012402962.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/24/AR2010012402962.html) tl:dr version: There are 11 populations of this beetle left on Earth. One of those populations is in the cliffs along the Chesapeake Bay in my HOA. The cliffs are eroding, causing the people that live across the street from me to lose real estate every few years. The people are not allowed to shore up the cliffs because that would destroy the habitat of these beetles. Over 25% of all living species on Earth are beetles. We won’t miss this one species, which is already endangered. Shoring up the cliff would also allow the southern end of my street to be opened again, which would cut 10 minutes each way off my commute every day. I know that I am being selfish, but if this beetle did something special, other than facilitate the erosion of the cliffs, I would not mind. If they were responsible for pollinating a crop or if they were the sole food source for some other animal, I would not mind. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/58 "2015-01-23T16:51:43Z")
Crows or pigeons. Your pick. Crows! I swear these noisy bastards are going to send me to prison one day. I live in a city, none of these insects mentioned seem to effect me. Those fucking birds, though. I swear one morning I’m just going to start shooting! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/59 "2015-01-23T17:09:39Z")
Mosquitoes. Or cats. Let some more birds live and they won’t poop in my damn yard. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608/60 "2015-01-23T23:10:40Z")
Amusing answer; politicians, I think they’re some kind of virus… Serious answer; ticks (and the Lyme disease they carry) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/extinction/710608.md?page=4)