Vermin

krizon

krizon

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There's a programme on South Today just now about an animal sanctuary which rescues, repairs, and releases injured grey squirrels. They've been getting hate mail from people because the grey squirrels are officially termed 'vermin'. The RSPCA has strict rules about them and destroys those that are brought in injured. However, judging by their performances on animal rescue programmes, their rescuing seems to be rather selective, as they've clearly rescued and repaired foxes, badgers, crows, etc. Now, this was news to me about greys being 'vermin'.

So, what is 'vermin' in this country, and WHY? If it's thought that cows carry TB, why aren't they vermin? Crows and their cousins in the corvid family are supposedly 'verminous' birds, yet they don't carry any more (or less) disease than blue tits. Along with them, go pigeons - harmless, clever, adaptable and good at surviving. Until sparrows became rare, they were almost classed as 'rubbish', too. Foxes, badgers, rats, mice, voles, moles, grey squirrels, crows, pigeons, wood pigeons, jays, magpies, rooks, rabbits, hares, and what else? WHY are these creatures considered to be either pests or vermin, when overpopulations of pheasants and deer are not, though having let them overbreed, people are happy to shoot them and (usually) eat them? Are any FISH considered vermin?
 
Blame the Yanks for their introduction! No, apart from the fact that they breed faster than the reds, and can carry what is to them a non-threatening virus (which the reds fail to survive), that can't mean they get tagged as vermin, otherwise half the human race would qualify on one count or another.
 
I just tried to find out from the DEFRA website but couldn't find a list of what is classified as vermin. Surely it's a matter of opinion? Some people consider foxes to be vermin, others don't and the same applies to a large number of creatures.
 
1. destructive animals or insects: small animals or insects that harm people, livestock, property, or crops and are difficult to control, e.g. rats, weasels, fleas, or cockroaches
2. offensive term: an offensive term for a person or group considered to be extremely unpleasant or undesirable


[13th century. Via Old French < assumed Vulgar Latin verminum "noxious life forms" < Latin vermis "worm"] :rolleyes:
 
Merlin, perhaps this surprises you, but I do have two or three dictionaries! I wanted to know WHICH, and WHY, particular animals and birds in Britain are classed as vermin, not what vermin is.
 
I may be wrong but I am not sure that there can be a 'definitive' list of vermin. Surely a species is only vermin when it is in an unwanted location? i.e. it is a pest or causing an ecological imbalance. Meaning in certain habitats it ceases to be vermin?

It's akin to a Rose being a weed in a field of Wheat.
 
There are supposed to be classifications, aren't there, or why are foxes repeatedly referred to as vermin by the hunting lobby, why are rats classified as vermin by town councils, and why are farmers only too pleased to kill all kinds of flying and walking beasties, because - according to them - they are 'vermin'. I'm talking about official classifications, and why those on them are rated as such. I guess no-one knows. I thought that 'vermin' were supposedly spreaders of disease, but that's clearly not the case - they are called 'vectors'.
 
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