NICHOLAS Wilson’s letter (Oxford Mail, August 15) shows how prejudiced some people are against life.

Since every living thing evolved from a single organism, it makes all life equal.

Each living thing has, over billions of years, successfully filled a niche and deserves to survive.Usually, an animal only kills for food or feels that its life is threatened.

Flies do an excellent job of disposing of rubbish and, since wasps are carnivores, they keep other insects in check.

I’ve had wasps nesting in my garden over many years and haven’t been stung once.

Rats, it seems, only proliferate in places where untidy humans leave uneaten food about.

As for slugs, I never suffered any degree of damage on my allotment but have had problems with decorative plants.The answer is to stick to growing plants that slugs don’t like.

Female mosquitoes need blood to breed but, to reduce the threat from them, don’t keep water containers uncovered and have fish in the pond.

There should be a policy of live and let live.One thing has become abundantly clear – by far the greatest pest in the world today is humanity.

DERRICK HOLT

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