A reflection on trapping where unhoused people gather
Kaleb Merwin
WSDA invasive moth trapper
Setting and monitoring moth traps has been an amazing
experience for me this summer. I have learned a lot about my city, met many
friendly people, and gained some specific skills for finding that “perfect
tree.”
While most people I have met have been curious or even sometimes
grateful for the trapping work I do, some are understandably less excited. “You
want to put that on one of my trees?” “Are those moths really harmful?”
“Is there some kind of outbreak in the neighborhood?” Most who respond this way
to a knock at the door are frustrated at the perceived intrusion or worry the
presence of the trap signifies that harmful pests are already on their
property. The responses I have never heard from someone with a door to knock on
are fear, shame, or panic.
In any major city in America, people live without shelter. In
Tacoma, our unhoused population is estimated at nearly 10,000 individuals spread
across the city and in constant movement due to encampment sweeps and other
threats to their stability and safety. Many displaced people have had unpleasant
interactions with public employees, from law enforcement, Department of
Transportation officials, and even clerks in public social assistance centers. What
should they think then when a sleek state vehicle pulls up to the curb closest
to where they have found temporary peace?
I volunteer in my free time to provide my neighbors without
shelter some food and supplies as I am able to. While I am on the job, I don’t necessarily
have the time or tools to make these same connections. I am tempted to staple
my trap, avoid eye contact, and move on quickly. But I must stop and remember
what was taught in training – I am obligated to knock on someone’s door if I
wish to put a trap on their property. If I have a conversation with someone
about the trap, they are far less likely to pull it down. And importantly: if
the person believes a tree to be their property even when you know it isn’t, default
to them. The customer is always right.
I don’t knock on RV and trailer doors. I don’t enter an
encampment, just as I would not enter someone’s home. But I do say hello. I do
introduce myself. And I do speak as though I am the one asking a favor in
someone’s front yard because, for all intents and purposes, I am. Sometimes the
first response is fear, panic, or shame. I may not be the first person in a
safety vest to approach them, and I’m the one with a staple gun. Speaking
calmly and in a friendly voice helps tell the message that I’m here to do good,
not make things harder. I personally make a good impression by keeping cold
water in a cooler in my trunk. Heat and dehydration are dangerous, and I don’t
want any of my neighbors to suffer.
Not every trapper feels safe talking to unhoused strangers,
and you should always do what you need to stay safe. I only ask that you
remember not all homes have doors, and not all of your neighbors have fences.
In summary: A WSDA invasive moth trapper reflects on considerations when setting traps in areas where people without housing gather.
