How big is the insect/pest problem in Amherst/Northampton?

[airedaly]

I think it's very sad for a young person to live life afraid of everything. The whole world is yours to explore and you are concentrating on bugs and bats.

How do you plan to get to these places....by plane? Have you ever thought about how dangerous they can be? Your life is threatened every time you fly, much more so than the threat of a bug bite in Amherst, Massachusetts.

I took a group of foreign students through conservation lands last week. It was their first time in the woods and they loved it. They didn't know such places existed, but they weren't afraid.

Go take a walk in the woods. It'll be good for you.

[maruto]

Originally Posted by airedaly

I think it's very sad for a young person to live life afraid of everything. The whole world is yours to explore and you are concentrating on bugs and bats.

How do you plan to get to these places....by plane? Have you ever thought about how dangerous they can be? Your life is threatened every time you fly, much more so than the threat of a bug bite in Amherst, Massachusetts.

I took a group of foreign students through conservation lands last week. It was their first time in the woods and they loved it. They didn't know such places existed, but they weren't afraid.

Go take a walk in the woods. It'll be good for you.

Take a walk in the woods? That's crazy talk. Everyone knows that city streets are much safer! Because, there's absolutely nothing in the city that could ever be a problem to anyone... The woods are overrun with scary owls and hyperdermic needles.

Airplanes are scary! Gremlins! I mean I've riden planes before. Even once a couple of weeks after 9/11. But, I would never even think of riding one now.
No, I'm going to walk there. Better yet, I'll just dig a tunnel there. Then I'll be really safe!!

Self-righteous much? Obviously, I'm not going to base my decision on insect problems or bats or alligators or snakes. There is more to a city than this, of course. It's no different than someone asking about traffic. It's nice to know but if some wants to go somewhere they're going to go no matter what. I'm far more concerned about that kind of self-righteous attitude than anything else. Oh no, now you're going to write a post about how I'm stereotyping.

[miu]

Originally Posted by maruto

Take a walk in the woods? That's crazy talk. Everyone knows that city streets are much safer! Because, there's absolutely nothing in the city that could ever be a problem to anyone... The woods are overrun with scary owls and hyperdermic needles.

When I lived in a city, dirty rats and cockroaches were a real nuisance. The rats would be in alleys eating the garbage in back of the restaurant. Pigeons and seagulls were also annoying with their dropping. You'd have a better chance of coming across hypodermic needles in city parks than you would in a country forest.

Now what is so scary about owls? They eat mice which is a good thing. Bats eat insects which is also good.

So would you go to Amherst/Northampton for school? If so, the campus is pretty much filled with students and their activities keep the wildlife away.

[airedaly]

Wow - I know a lot of high school students applying to college, and the least of their concerns is whether there are bugs, bats or snakes where they're applying. The kids I know look at the curriculum, the student body, whether their SAT scores are good enough, and how much drinking happens on the campus. Have you heard of a student refusing admission to Yale because it's in a high crime area? Not likely. I have never once heard a student ask the nutty questions you're posing.

The Amherst 5-college system is fantastic. I would highly recommend attending one of those schools if you are qualified.

[maruto]

Originally Posted by airedaly

Wow - I know a lot of high school students applying to college, and the least of their concerns is whether there are bugs, bats or snakes where they're applying. The kids I know look at the curriculum, the student body, whether their SAT scores are good enough, and how much drinking happens on the campus. Have you heard of a student refusing admission to Yale because it's in a high crime area? Not likely. I have never once heard a student ask the nutty questions you're posing.

The Amherst 5-college system is fantastic. I would highly recommend attending one of those schools if you are qualified.

Well now that you've said what you have to say, I hope you feed that high horse of yours. It deserves more than just a carrot. Even if what you say is true, I hope you can learn a lesson here: you win more flies with honey than vinegar. Did you honestly believe your half-hearted lectures would lead to anything more than a debate? For a "normal adult" you're acting exceptionally childish. I'd rather be afraid of my own shadow and the sun than be as daft as you.

[maruto]

Originally Posted by miu

When I lived in a city, dirty rats and cockroaches were a real nuisance. The rats would be in alleys eating the garbage in back of the restaurant. Pigeons and seagulls were also annoying with their dropping. You'd have a better chance of coming across hypodermic needles in city parks than you would in a country forest.

Now what is so scary about owls? They eat mice which is a good thing. Bats eat insects which is also good.

So would you go to Amherst/Northampton for school? If so, the campus is pretty much filled with students and their activities keep the wildlife away.

Of course, I was kidding.

[airedaly]

Thanks, dear. Good luck with your college search. I'm sure you'll be a real hit in the dorm.

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by airedaly

Thanks, dear. Good luck with your college search. I'm sure you'll be a real hit in the dorm.

Ditto...

And with that, and off to another thread.

[ogre]

At present I happen to be in a position to have some understanding of Maruto's concerns. I'm looking into grad school, and one school I'm seriously considering is the University of Oklahoma. When I think of living in central OK, I get a little nervous about tornadoes, and really creeped out about the idea of brown recluse spiders (I understand that their prime turf is the south-central states). A couple of months ago I even asked about these hazards in the OK forum.

Here's an important point, however: I asked about twisters and recluses along with some other questions about Norman, and life in central OK in general. Though I can understand being concerned about the hazards found in an area, my reason for asking was simply to get some idea what I could expect if I were to end up in school at OU. If OU looked like the right school for me, I would never consider not going there because of weather or spiders.

Maruto, in one of your posts you said you too were mainly just trying to find out what you could expect in an area. I don't want to get on your case the way some here have, because I think it's understandable to want to have a clear picture of the hazards that exist in a place you're thinking of living, so you're prepared psychologically if you do end up there.

On the other hand, I agree completely with what others have said here. It's a big world out there, with lots to see and do and learn, and it would not be good to limit your opportunities to experience what the world has to offer because you're worried about the miniscule chance that in a particular place some critter might bite you or sting you. If you do have the kind of fear of creepy-crawlies that would make you seriously consider not going to a place that had a lot to offer, simply because of some kind of bug that occasionally appears in the area, it would be good for your own well-being if you could find a way to work through those fears so that they would not hinder you from enjoying all the richness the world has in it. Judging by the one post you made, it sounds as if you may be more like me with Oklahoma, just wanting to find out what you could expect, but if it's more than that, you could benefit from facing your fears and working on them. Whatever the case with that, best of luck finding the right place for you. By the way, are you, as one user suggested here, looking for a place to attend college?

[Patapsco]

Hey, guys -

Just as an FYI, my cousin got bitten by a brown recluse in Hockessin, DE. These spiders aren't just out west.

I think the OP'er has a point... some people worry about rodents, insects, and reptiles, and some of us worry more about traffic, schools, etc... we all have our concerns/hangups/curiosities. While it is sad to worry about silly things, we all have them, and what's silly to one of us might be dead serious to another. Live and let live!

Ok, stepping off my soap box now.