Monday 6 December 2021

Hot take: pest control professionals are fear mongering for profit

I doubt this is actually a “hot take”, but I haven’t really seen anyone discussing it. Not sure if this is the right place, but ai know everyone here has an appreciation for insects!

I have noticed, when searching certain inverts, particularly insects and arachnids, one of the first results to pop up is always a pest control website. I will not name names, but we all know the big ones, and the rest are similar in their narrative: “bugs” are the root of all evil.

I was once searching for info about wolf spiders and their ability to take fall damage (I witnessed a very preoccupied mother carrying her weight in offspring fall off my windowsill). The results were scarce, but I noticed that multiple pest control sites came up.

I decided to click on one, and was brought to a page meant to resemble a “Wolf Spider Info” page.

The page insinuated that “wolf spider infestations” are a common occurrence, and to contact them for a consultation. They warned, “Do not try to kill the wolfspider yourself, as they carry their young on their back, and you may end up with more spiders.” which was about yhe only credible tidbit of info I found on there, and it was still devised in a way meant to scare people.

I think most of us understand the concept of “entohystaria” is an unjustified fear in modern day society.

But it especially bothers me that corporations seeking profit, including search engines promoting results, is only harmful to both us and our environment.

Fear often comes from a place of ignorance. Knowledge is power. These businesses use that fear to promote their service in which they can profit.

I’m not saying pest control is completely unwarranted, but they are not just killing the “pests”, they are killing the biological pest control.

Id love to hear your thoughts on this topic, and any simple solutions to counter this fear mongering!

submitted by /u/Rosiepuff
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/Entomology/comments/rae51y/hot_take_pest_control_professionals_are_fear/

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