Wednesday 18 May 2011

Killing fields

I am not good at killing things.  It goes very much against the grain to kill poor innocent insects who are only doing what nature intended. But there are limits and I draw the line at snails and aphids.
I had to come to this decision slowly . During my couple of years toying with the idea of Buddhism I decided that to kill anything was not following the 8 fold path of righteousness so I left everything be. This resulted in a house full of spiders.My daughter developed an insect phobia during this time so I had to carefully clear them all out and hope they would set up home elsewhere.
When I finally decided I wasn't good enough to be a Buddhist I did not go back to killing things. I still tried. It was the sight of the roses being eaten alive that made me snap in the end. I sprayed them but with a systemic  that ensured the plant stayed healthy from then on!
Snails I still have problems with. Here out in the country are acres of stone wall full of the blighters ready to start munching the moment the annuals arrive.
Now I can still not actually do the deed.  I fling them over the fence onto the road. If they can run fast enough they can get back in!  I once did just that and a dear child here on holiday collected them all up and thoughtfully put them back on the petunias!
I am not a good person. There is no need to shout at once. I know about drowning them in beer and all the other cures....but my way is less messy. and I can pretend ignorance if I have to.

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