So, the next time that you are at your wit’s end with a home invasion of ants or maybe you see signs of a mouse living in your attic, just realize that ‘pest’ is a relative term.

In 2012, using a grant from a US donor and additional donations from a Salvadoran donor, our sustainable farming initiative came to life.  The idea was to teach our kids about farming and animal husbandry while also offering a free source of protein.  We cleared the land and made room for new vegetable gardens and a rabbit shelter. COAR, being a former coffee plantation, has always had fruit bearing trees, corn fields and other agricultural products that have greatly enhanced our ability to serve healthy, locally grown food.  But, COAR also is home to all of your favorite pests:  poisonous and constrictor snakes, scorpions and tarantulas.

One day, our farmer noticed that 3 rabbits had been eaten during the night.  But how?  The shelter is locked and covered with chicken wire.

After some study, he realized that constrictors had found a way to enter the pipes that run into the shelter.  They entered the pipes at night, ate the rabbits and made their escape before day break.  Having discovered their ‘modus operandi’, our farmer set a trap and as you can see from the picture, caught one of the rabbit thieves before he could do any more harm.

You might wonder if the COAR kids are comfortable eating the rabbits after having raised and cared for them.  The answer is yes, they quite enjoy the stews and other meals that our housemothers prepare with the fresh (and humanely rendered) meat.

However, the next time that you swat a fly in your house or step on a spider, realize that in some places, those house ‘pests’ can be much worse!