Is it wrong to kill roaches, insects, and/or rodents?

[ecstatic]

I just flushed a spider down the toilet and I thought about the lobster/shrimp debate that's been going on. Do you think it is wrong to kill bugs?

[flvegan]

1. Is it wrong?

This one is tough, on its face. I think that the simple answer is that yes, it is. However, if it's done in defense of oneself (swatting a mosquito that is biting you, parasites) or another animal (killing fleas/ticks on pets, rats/mice that might bring disease/rabies into your home) or your home (termites, rats, roaches) then I think that it's not so much wrong, but a need. Also, if it's something that will have you living in fear (someone terrified of spiders, for example, swatting one) then, again defensible, I suppose.

I do try to catch and release spiders, roaches, etc, but I'm not perfect.

[RebelOne]

2. In my opinion, it is not wrong.

I hate all bugs and do not feel any guilt when I kill them.

[LeftyMom]

3. Ideally I would not kill any animal

I try to coexist with the harmless spiders and the mosquito eaters and release the other bugs outside. Unfortunately some of the nastier spiders are too fast to relocate safely, so if they're in a part of the house I really can't allow them to remain, say near my son's bed, in those circumstaces I will reluctantly kill them.

I'd be a bit less reluctant about fleas, ticks and other parasites, but I haven't seen any around.

[livetohike]

4. I have no problem killing ticks, fleas and ants, or roaches

I try to capture/release all spiders, however if a Black Widow or Brown Recluse are in the house, they will be killed. I have had two nasty encounters with those guys - one with our dog and then my husband. It is not pretty.

Unless you practice the Jain religion, I think the debate of whether it is wrong or not is a matter of personal choice.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

5. IMHO, it depends on the insects, but yes it is wrong to kill rodents

When I can, I catch and release. An insect can't help what it is, it's just doing it's thing. But if I'm getting bit by something, I'll smack it. I figure that's more along the lines of the natural world. And my cats are on Revolution.

As far as rodents, no, I would not kill any rodents. I use catch and release traps and they work pretty well. I release out in the fields. Other than mice and rats, I'm not sure I've come into contact with any other problem-rodents much. There is a family of possums living on the end of the block. But my cats don't go outside so it's not much of a problem. There are raccoons about, and skunks, but they don't bother anyone.

[ecstatic]

6. Wow... your description makes it sound like you live on a farm

or a very rural location. I've never seen a skunk and hope I never do!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

8. Actully I only live a little over 20 minutes outside of Chicago

We still have preserves and fields in places here. I guess that's why possums and skunks still live around here.

The nearest I've come to being sprayed was cleaning my aunt's dog when he was sprayed by a skunk. We bought every bit of tomato juice in our local store.

[Lorien]

9. Heck, I live in downtown Orlando and I have possums, raccoons, flying

squirrels, owls, osprey, hawks, armadillo,snakes, moles, mice, rats...loads of critters in my backyard. I once put out a plastic kiddie pool for the critters on a hot dry night, and I counted 24 raccoons in the backyard! There's so much development down here that the animals have no place else to go.

I also trap and release the rodents. I only kill roaches, brown recluses, mosquitoes and certain types of flies if they are in my home-I don't bother them outside or in the garage. The right to exist is the ultimate "animal right" I believe.

Check LBN; the world is experiencing the greatest rate of species extinction since the age of dinosaurs. That's an issue we, as those who care about non human species, should really be pushing to the forefront of human awareness. I repeat; the right to exist at all is the ultimate "animal right".

[jobycom]

7. Wrong, like, as in a sin? Or what? So many meanings of that word.

My own answer is that I value life in all forms, and recognize that death is a part of the world around me. I generally won't squish a bug in my house, not really because I think it's a sin or anything, but because it is just unnecessary, and therefore better to leave it alone, or put it outside. I have, however, lived in roach infested houses and used pesticides to get rid of them. I've treated my cats for fleas. Those actions seemed more necessary, to alleviate suffering in my cats, and to just get rid of pests who ruin my food and kind of gross me out.

The West is real into right and wrong, black and white. The Muslims believe every action has four classifications. Forbidden, allowed, recommended, and required. (I may have mangled that a bit, and I'm not sure all Muslims claim this). Any action can be affected by circumstances, so something that is forbidden in one case may be allowed or recommended in another. I put killing insects in the "allowed" category, I guess. It's not the best thing to do, so I avoid it when I can, but it's not something I see as virtuous, either. For me, it depends on the circumstances, and the consequences of not doing it. Farming kills insects and small animals, but it gives them a chance to escape, and without it we would all have die, so it's not as bad, to me, as killing an animal to eat. I'm not saying that's how anyone else has to view it, just how I view it.

[Brazenly Liberal]

10. It's a personal decision, but veg*n isn't a synonym for suicidal. :-)

If I pull a tick off my dog, you better believe I kill it. We don't get cockroaches this far out in the country, but if I was in the city, I'd kill them, too. Same with flies, mosquitos, and anything else that threatens my health. Catch and release isn't a realistic option for disease spreading bugs.

However, we have a regular rodent taxi service. We have chickens here and if we're not going to eat them, neither is the local wildlife. Raccoons, possums, rats, they all cause major problems when they decide the henhouse is an all-you-can-eat buffet, so we have humane traps out in the henhouse pen and every morning on his way to work, my husband takes them for a ride to a nice area a few miles over where they can once again see their rodent friends and family who went there before them.

[NMMNG]

11. Many many years ago I killed a mouse in a trap

It nearly broke my heart when I had to dispose of the limp little body and I knew right then I could never do that again. If I ever have mice in my own home (the one I encountered was at work) I'd use the "catch and release" traps so they wouldn't be harmed.


As to bugs both my roomie and I are very bug and spider phobic so we have a monthly visit from Terminix. We rarely see bugs/spiders in our place thanks to this.

[Codeine]

12. I only kill ants.

Spiders and such I ignore, but I'm Death incarnate to ants. Hate 'em.

[leftyladyfrommo]

13. I just leave them alone if I can.

Sometimes I can't do that. I can't live with 100,000 spiders so I try to keep the number of spiders in my house to a minimum.

Actually, I don't have much trouble with bugs. We just kind of peacefully co-exist.