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Does anyone here avoid killing bugs?

K

Kettch

Member
I try to. Especially spiders, since you never know when there's an egg sack ready to pop baby spiders all over your floor attached to it.

Onc exception is ants in my kitchen. Don't really want them reporting back and bringing the rest of them.
 
G

Ghostandgoblin

Member
TheCthultist said:
For most bugs, like mosquitos, I'm pretty sure the only reason is "It will destroy the food web and ecosystem" but I don't know that that applies to cockroaches and wasps... Not too many things seem to enjoy eating those.
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Wasps are natural cleaners, just like vultures. Take them out of the food chain and you'll get more wastes and an unbalanced environment.
They are eaten by many things, birds, badgers, fish, insects.

Cockroaches I don't know, but the problem is kind of different since they found that humans produce everything they need to survive and like to live and prosper that way.
 
K

KiN0

Member
Most of the time, I'll ignore bugs that are flying around my house. Wasps and roaches are getting the swat no matter what though. And while I do love them, ever since we found a nest of brown recluses I kill any spiders I see too.
 
blanchot

blanchot

Member
Shadybiz said:
You shouldn't actually kill those.

Get this stuff, put it around your house in strategic areas, and resist the urge to kill them on sight. They will eat this, poison themselves, take it back to the hive, die, and then they BECOME the poison, because their comrades eat them, and then also die.

We had an issue in the townhouse we used to live in. We had a flood, so the walls had to be perforated, which let them in from our gross neighbor's unit. Used this stuff, and a couple weeks later, no more problem.
Click to expand...

thanks. just ordered. another thing i dont get is when i dispose of a cockroach, i sweep up the remains -- but every now and again i will come across a stray leg, a stray wing. there must be in-fighting going on.
 
N

Nista

Member
Unless it's actually a problematic insect for diseases or food destruction, I leave all of them alone. I do feel bad when we accidentally vacuum up a spider here and there, so I try to shoo them out of the corners when we need to dust.

I have destroyed some invasive insect pests in the garden, but it's hard to feel bad when they were introduced into the ecosystem by human folly in the first place.
 
S

Speely

Banned
I avoid killing them unless it's a spider near my bed. I try to capture those instead of killing them, but if there's no time for that, sorry lil buddy :/

I work with beeswax so bees land on me all the time. I keep a spray bottle with simple syrup in it to rehydrate them, so in a sense I am a bug saver :)
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
Painguy said:
Recently I've found myself avoid killing bugs. Like, if I found a bug in my home I'd just take it outside. I've had a few people poke fun which is fine. I get it, it's weird lol, but I was wondering if anyone else does this?

I'm not saying I wont kill bugs no matter what. If a bug bit me or my home got infested with termites then those little dudes are gonna get it, but if a bug is minding its own business I'll just take it outside. if I found a fly kinda lost then I'd turn off all the lights, put my phone on full brightness and lead it outside. At the end of the day that 1 fly probs has 10 days to live tops.

The reason I started doing this is cuz I've been thinking about how we as people have a tendency to look down on creatures that we deem smaller or stupider than us. This new mentality of mine doesn't apply just to bugs. I have a lot of raccoons & cayotes where I live. Most people hate raccoons as far as I can tell, and attempt to set up traps. I on the other hand realized that maybe I should seal my garbage a bit better. Now they don't show up.

Am I just being dumb GAF?
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Same as you. Particularly moths, which show up more at night if it's summer and you've let the window open for air but also your laptop or room light is super attractive.

Now corraling crane flies outside?
BZ4L2ZGLNZXLAZUH3HILZRPH1H7H3H7HOHXHCHMHGZMHEZ4HTHHL6Z5HTH8H1H4HRRML8Z7HGZLL.jpg

Too much work.
 
H

Hazmat

Member
Every bug that dares to invade the borders of my realm gets killed. Except for a mosquito that's biting me or wasps too close to my home I don't kill any bugs outside.

Maybe people not from the south don't get the occasional cockroach the size of a small mouse, but I'm impressed and disgusted if you take the time to give those nasty fuckers a second chance at life (and infesting your home).
 
R

redcrayon

Member
Speely said:
I avoid killing them unless it's a spider near my bed. I try to capture those instead of killing them, but if there's no time for that, sorry lil buddy :/

I work with beeswax so bees land on me all the time. I keep a spray bottle with simple syrup in it to rehydrate them, so in a sense I am a bug saver :)
Click to expand...
I put down a bit of sugar syrup on a spoon if I see a bee that looks exhausted on a windowsill. Figure it must be tough being a bee, always nice to see them perk up and head off again.
 
T

TickleMeElbow

Member
I kill flies because they were prolly chilling on dog shit somewhere, and they're annoying.

I also kill these things:

1400945316090.jpeg


....because fuck that thing lurking in the same space I live.

Other than that I let the other bugs chill. Oh, and I'll prolly kill a roach on site, but I haven't seen one of those in ages.
 
K

Kneefoil

Member
Depends on the kind of bug or insect. Flies and mosquitoes, for example, I don't avoid killing because they can get really annoying. All sorts of creepy crawlers, like spiders and centipedes, I very rarely kill.

I seldom get any of these in my current apartment, though. I live in a good place in that regard. I guess I should also point out that I in an atmosphere where all of these guys are really small anyway.
 
G

GhaleonEB

Member
Zocano said:
Another one!? Christ. Did you go all hazmat suit again?
Click to expand...

This was one of those round ones that was attached up high in a visible location; different type of yellow jacket than the ground burrowers. I just sprayed it at night from ~10 feet away. (Pics here.) Clean hit and run, fortunately. Knocked down the nest and cleaned up a couple dozen dead wasps this morning.
 
S

Shadybiz

Member
blanchot said:
thanks. just ordered. another thing i dont get is when i dispose of a cockroach, i sweep up the remains -- but every now and again i will come across a stray leg, a stray wing. there must be in-fighting going on.
Click to expand...

No worries; good luck! Yeah, they are brutal bastards, and will kill each other (not to mention eat each other).
 
U

Unbounded

Member
If it's minding it's own business and not in my way then usually yeah, I let it live.

Also I don't really want to bother with cleaning up splattered bug.
 
P

Poona

Member
Painguy said:
Recently I've found myself avoid killing bugs. Like, if I found a bug in my home I'd just take it outside. I've had a few people poke fun which is fine. I get it, it's weird lol, but I was wondering if anyone else does this?
Click to expand...

It's not weird.

Many people avoid killing bugs. I always think it sad when people see nothing wrong with it.

I always just look at them like they're just trying to live a life and I'm pretty sure they didn't have much choice in being born as a bug.

I will put a spider in a glass jar and carefully put a piece of card underneath them to take them outside instead of killing them (unless I choose to let them hang inside). Same with crickets and moths (but I usually don't let their jumping or flying selves hang inside). If I get a fly or mosquito I just wave them away or attempt to catch them but not kill.

Also if I see a worm on a footpath/concrete I will use a leaf or twig to then put them in the soil or grass so they aren't as exposed.
 
Mossybrew

Mossybrew

Member
Radiant Silvertuna said:
Inside the home, they're probably going to die. Outside the home, never.
Click to expand...

Generally my rule, though there are a few exceptions. Jumping spiders I just let do their thing, they are my bros. Moths, are usually fairly easy to grab and toss out alive. Random beetle, pick it up, get outta here boyo. Everything else is pretty much kill on sight.
 
O

OrionX

Member
I killed my first fly the other day and immediately regretted it upon realizing the phrase "wouldn't hurt a fly" no longer applies to me. :(
 
n0razi

n0razi

Member
Depends on the bug... bees, ladybugs, and beetles are cool. Wasps, ants, and roaches got executed upon sight.
 
D

Disgraced

Member
It depends. Ant crawling on me? Smushed. And crawling near me? Smushed. And crawling around me? Avoided. Spiders and roaches in my vicinity—my bubble are dead no matter what. Crickets, ladybugs, beetles, grasshoppers, mantises, moths, bugs like that crawling on or around me I'll just swat away or avoid. If any of these things are in my place they're probably dead. If they're in my room they're fucking toast.

Except ladybugs. A ladybug I might carry out.
 
T

TheDanger

Banned
it depends flying stuff that is annoying I kill as I can't be bothered to wait until it flies out the windows, spiders and such I usually put outside.
 
S

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
I try to eject or ignore spiders. If I find a hobo I kill it because it won't stay in the garden and is rarely but legitimately dangerous. Most regular spiders go outside. Little house spiders I leave alone. But when they get big and hairy enough to scare mrs. stinkles and stinkles jr, they gots to leave. Don't really find much else. Obviously wasps must die. I also simple syrup exhausted bees.
 
P

pelicansurf

Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
I usually kill any insect in my house because they just freak me out. I'm unable to carry a live insect. However, I usually feel bad, since I just ended a life. I just let the universe know that if I ever get crushed to death, I'm not allowed to complain about it.
 
T

TurboLibre

Member
Mostly. In my house I'll kill spiders that break the unspoken truce and take out anything bold enough to crawl on me so the rest know the score. Outside I'll try to avoid any critters around me, and hop over areas on the ground if I see them.

Ants (inside my house) and mosquitoes (anywhere) though. I will bring the murder.
 
M

McLovin

Member
Depends on the bug, fuck flies, roaches, bedbugs, or mosquitoes. Spiders are nasty too but they aren't that bad and they control other bugs.
Edit- if I found a bed bug I would leave everything and move lol.
 
PleaseDontBanMe

PleaseDontBanMe

Banned
I think all life is precious and u shouldn't take what u can't give back


with that being said i do spray rubbing alcohol on ants that i see around the house during the summer time

i feel bad, but ehhh, they just annoy me.


I'll only kill an insect in my own home, i would never kill a bug outside
 
W

wandering goat

Member
Most of the time, yes, though there are different levels.

Houseflies: Try to catch and release outside. I've virtually mastered the art of catching them in your cupped hands, though sometimes a fly is just too fast for its own good and becomes an accidental victim. Using a cup against glass is super easy too as they don't react at all if you're going slow enough.

Spiders: I leave them be - they don't bother me and theoretically they're keeping other unwanted insects out of my way.

Wasps: This is a tough one. If I can, I open the door and hope they fly out or try to shoo them out gently. But in a more enclosed area, it's me vs them and I have to take them out, permanently.

Fruit flies: LOL, enjoy my apple cider vinegar traps.

I guess I'd kill ants if there were a lot, but I practically never see any.
 
E

EekumBokum

Member
Smallish spiders I'll take em outside. I leave moths alone, they are rare and typically manage to die or escape by themselves. I kill all other bugs.

Oh yeah, I fucking hate silverfish. Those are probably the most common outside of spiders and ants whenever ants decide to invade en masse.
 
A

Acyl

Member
I used to seek and destroy all creatures in my home all my life. Then my ex was like the OP and didn't want to kill anything, so I changed my ways and set phaser to stun. Now I catch and release everything except ants. Ants can burn.
 
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