# Why can't we eradicate....
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 9, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378 "2004-10-09T16:26:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/21 "2004-10-10T13:14:22Z")
> [@violacrane](#):
>
> How marvellous, d’ya get midges?
Yup. The worst midge attack I ever had was at Lough Nea in Northern Ireland. “Midges. Thaasands of them.” Strangely, some Irish people call them “midgets”.
> [@violacrane](#):
>
> at least wasps advertise and they don’t actually feed on us either.
They bleedin’ do. Went camping recently (on top of a wasp’s nest), and got a few nasty nips before being stung. Bastards.
---
### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/22 "2004-10-10T13:19:25Z")
> [@jester21](#):
>
> Why can’t we Eradicate Skunks?
Because for every hated animal, there is a society dedicated to preserving it. And dressing it up in ridiculous outfits. :eek:
[Skunk babies](http://www.skunks.org/Home.htm)…aren’t they _cute?_😃
---
### Author:  [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/23 "2004-10-10T13:26:15Z")
Possums! That is who needs to be erradicated, In Australia it is illegal to kil them , in NZ you can be paid to kill them.
Ecosystems are delicate things. In some ecosystems a creature can be an inportant NATURAL thing. In another ecosystem it can be worse then WORSE.
Death to possums!
---
### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/24 "2004-10-10T13:47:00Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#):
>
> Possums! That is who needs to be erradicated… in NZ you can be paid to kill them.
What is the rationale behind that? Are possums being singled out, or can you be paid to kill other animals as well?
---
### Author:  [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/25 "2004-10-10T14:02:30Z")
Possums are killing the native forrest and many native birds. NZ is a non native mammal island(s). The only native mammal is a bat.
We have very defensiveless native birds and a native forest that is very yummy to possums. Possums are the enemy.
---
### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/26 "2004-10-10T15:57:06Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#):
>
> Possums are killing the native forrest and many native birds. NZ is a non native mammal island(s). The only native mammal is a bat.
>
> We have very defensiveless native birds and a native forest that is very yummy to possums. Possums are the enemy.
Homo Sapiens is non-native to NZ, too, and are killing defenseless possums and other native animals. People is the enemy.
Let’s eradicate the people and we’ll all live in peace.
---
### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/27 "2004-10-10T16:03:16Z")
> [@jjimm](#):
>
> Mosquitos are vanishingly rare in Ireland. Perhaps because of all the goddamned wasps?
I think they just drowned. 😃
---
### Author:  [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/28 "2004-10-10T16:14:39Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#):
>
> Possums are killing the native forrest and many native birds. NZ is a non native mammal island(s). The only native mammal is a bat.
>
> We have very defensiveless native birds and a native forest that is very yummy to possums. Possums are the enemy.
Opossums are marsupials, not exactly mammals, unless what you call a possum is not the same thing.
I do understand that non-native species can play havoc when introduced into an environment where they have no natural enemies. I thought opossums ate only insects, they’re pretty slow moving, but, I could be wrong.
(I know marsupials and placental animals are _both_ mammals.)
---
### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/29 "2004-10-10T18:46:21Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> And I, for one, wouldn’t shed a single tear over the total eradication of roaches, wasps, hornets, ants, and termites.
Maybe not. But you’d probably die. Right after the ecology of the planet as we know it collapses. Not something that would happen if humans were eradicated. We need them way more than they need us. But feel free to keep stepping on them…there are more 🙂 .
---
### Author:  [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/30 "2004-10-10T19:04:27Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Best way would be to put a $10,000 bounty on each dead skunk someone sends you and run that program for a decade or so. Of course, people would probably start breeding them on farms to collect so maybe the plan has some flaws…
If I remember correctly. . . . oops, no wait, sorry . . . IIRC China tried this in the early 50’s with flies. You were supposed to bring in some to work every day, or drop them off that your local “Dead Fly Commisar” or something. Turned out people didn’t have the time or energy to run around tracking down the necessary flies so raising them in bottles became popular. Throw in a little garbage and water every little bit and shake out the required quota in the morning.
---
### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/31 "2004-10-10T20:40:54Z")
> [@picunurse](#):
>
> Opossums are marsupials, not exactly mammals, unless what you call a possum is not the same thing.
> I do understand that non-native species can play havoc when introduced into an environment where they have no natural enemies. I thought opossums ate only insects, they’re pretty slow moving, but, I could be wrong.
> (I know marsupials and placental animals are _both_ mammals.)
Opossums eat cat food. I’ve come home in the middle of the night and had the motion lighting come on to show a non-kitty chowing from the community bowl.
---
### Author:  [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378/32 "2004-10-10T22:45:34Z")
> [@picunurse](#):
>
> Opossums are marsupials, not exactly mammals…
> (I know marsupials and placental animals are _both_ mammals.)
Huh?
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-eradicate/268378.md?page=1)