Killing insects

Ironclad · **#21** by **Ironclad** » Mar 21, 2010 10:20 pm

Gallstones wrote:
Ironclad wrote:I thought the spider disgust was a primordial survival thingumyboby.. what's the word.? Same for snakes.
No?

I keep snakes and spiders. Well, I have no spiders now except those that have moved in of their own free will. But I have had tarantulas, plan to again, and do have snakes. I don't have that automatic disgust for insects or any creep crawly--except cockroaches and ticks. I loathe the both of them. And if it feeds on me or mine, I kill it without remorse.

I had a mouse in the house last Spring. Now I think mice are cute and charming but I can not allow one to be in the house (the snakes get pre-killed feeders). So, I had to set a trap for it. It was sad, and I did get it which was a good thing because it was a big, healthy female. No I did not feed it to any of the snakes.

While we are on the subject, I have to admit to even more irrationality, I can't bring myself to throw away or neglect a houseplant even if I don't want it anymore. I always try to find it a new home.

Do you feed your spiders and snakes live food? Seems around here, UK, there are frozen rats to feed snakes, "give them a wiggle" - apparently. That seems a touch cruel.
I also have an affinity with house plants, but will quite happily kill flies and mozzies and their bretheren.

Varangian · **#22** by **Varangian** » Mar 21, 2010 10:20 pm

If insects have come into the house, I try to capture and let out bees, wasps, spiders and the like. Flies are usually disposed of, as are mosquitos that are about to suck my blood. Small vermin found in the kitchen are dealt with harshly, no quarter given. I usually try not to harm other living things, despite not being a vegetarian.

Jef · **#23** by **Jef** » Mar 21, 2010 10:29 pm

Their uninvited entry into my domicile is an implicit declaration of war. I show no mercy to the invaders; especially wasps, who are bastards.

Ironclad · **#24** by **Ironclad** » Mar 21, 2010 10:33 pm

I forgot about wasps.
Like the Darleks - they need eradicating.

Mazille · **#25** by **Mazille** » Mar 21, 2010 10:35 pm

Ironclad wrote:I forgot about wasps.
Like the Darleks - they need eradicating.

You know that, unlike with mosquitoes it's pretty much your fault if they sting you?

Mantisdreamz · **#26** by **Mantisdreamz** » Mar 21, 2010 10:44 pm

Gallstones wrote:
I'm probably a little OC too because I try not to step on ants when they are on the sidewalk. I rescue earthworms from being on the sidewalk by putting them back on the grass. When I lived in So Cal, I used to rescue as many snails as I could after the rain. Pitiful, I know.

That's not that bad. You just see me trying to try my bike on a side walk where snails have come out from the grass... swerving all over the place, looks pretty silly.

The only time I kill insects are worms & crickets for the pets. And sometimes if I have too many crickets I end up just releasing them.

I think pretty much for the same reasons though, why would I kill it. I think they are pretty. edit: most of them.

NineBerry · **#27** by **NineBerry** » Mar 21, 2010 10:48 pm

Mazille wrote:
NineBerry wrote:It's just insects. It's not like they have much consciousness or personality. So why wouldn't you kill them?

Why bother then? They don't harm you, and you're not going to deter any other insects by killing the first wave mercilessly.

Well, I am only killing them if they annoy me or are in some way in my way. I don't kill flys or spiders that sit peacefully in a corner, but I do kill insects that could sting me or insects that are poisonous.

Varangian · **#28** by **Varangian** » Mar 21, 2010 10:51 pm

Ironclad wrote:I forgot about wasps.
Like the Darleks - they need eradicating.

When wasps get inside in the autumn, they are usually pretty slow and about to die. Still, if our cat got into her head to play with it and eat it, the sting could kill her. So, wasps in the autumn have to go.

Mazille · **#29** by **Mazille** » Mar 21, 2010 11:00 pm

NineBerry wrote:
Mazille wrote:
NineBerry wrote:It's just insects. It's not like they have much consciousness or personality. So why wouldn't you kill them?

Why bother then? They don't harm you, and you're not going to deter any other insects by killing the first wave mercilessly.

Well, I am only killing them if they annoy me or are in some way in my way. I don't kill flys or spiders that sit peacefully in a corner, but I do kill insects that could sting me or insects that are poisonous.

That could sting you. If you know what you're doing, there's only a slightly less than 100% chance that they won't. The beautiful thing about arthropods is that they don't know what they are going to do, which is why we can know what they are going to do. That was the rational side.

On the irrational side, I wouldn't even kill a wasp/bee that is sitting on my arm, no matter what. I know that chances are it won't sting me, but even if I get the feeling of it being aggressive, I'd rather take the chance. I'd rather not kill it and get stung than kill it just in case. That may just be me, though, and I can't really convince anyone to take that chance as well. It's just that I know that I will survive the sting, although it hurts, and so will the wasp. The wasp can't help what it does, but I like to think that I can. (Free will aside. At least humans feel like they have one, right?) A bee will still die if it stings me, but it fucked up by itself, so it wasn't my fault, so that's pretty much an aside.

LIFE · **#30** by **LIFE** » Mar 21, 2010 11:07 pm

NineBerry wrote:It's just insects. It's not like they have much consciousness or personality. So why wouldn't you kill them?

Is that a fact? They're certainly less conscious but do you suggest they don't have any at all?

Mazille · **#31** by **Mazille** » Mar 21, 2010 11:09 pm

LIFE wrote:
NineBerry wrote:It's just insects. It's not like they have much consciousness or personality. So why wouldn't you kill them?

Is that a fact? They're certainly less conscious but do you suggest they don't have any at all?

The favourite sentence of the modern-day biologist: "It's a difference in quality, not quantity."

Wiðercora · **#32** by **Wiðercora** » Mar 21, 2010 11:09 pm

If a wasp or bee landed on me I'd be too terrified to move, let alone kill the stripey bastard.

feign_ignorence · **#33** by **feign_ignorence** » Mar 21, 2010 11:12 pm

I dont kill bugs. They've got enough shit to deal with, without having their lives cut short unnecessarily.

biology_portugal · **#34** by **biology_portugal** » Mar 21, 2010 11:14 pm

I personally only kill insects when they may be an health hazard (house flies in the kitchen, ticks in the dogs [I'm aware they are not insects, yes :mrgreen:

]).
But last year I had to kill some for the purpose of identification in Invertebrate Biology classes, and I can't say I felt remorse. I mean, I avoid killing them, but if I have too, I don't make a big deal out of it.

Varangian · **#35** by **Varangian** » Mar 21, 2010 11:31 pm

The bug(ger)s are going to inherit the Earth anyway, so we might just enjoy our supremacy while it lasts!

NineBerry · **#36** by **NineBerry** » Mar 21, 2010 11:49 pm

LIFE wrote:
NineBerry wrote:It's just insects. It's not like they have much consciousness or personality. So why wouldn't you kill them?

Is that a fact? They're certainly less conscious but do you suggest they don't have any at all?

There's no personal relationships between individuals, so insects wouldn't need any consciousness. Additionally, there is only so much functionality that you can fit into an ant brain...

virphen · **#37** by **virphen** » Mar 21, 2010 11:53 pm

I kill flies, sandflies, wasps and mosquitos. Anything else I'll generally shepherd outside.

It may not be rational but I hate flies more than any other living creature. Few things piss me off as much as a fly buzzing around the room, particularly when they occasionally go straight pass my ear :nono:

.

Millefleur · **#38** by **Millefleur** » Mar 22, 2010 12:06 am

Flies I squoosh if in the house, mosquitoes/midges definitely - they seem to find me extra tasty and I come up in huge flat 50p sized lumps that itch to buggery and then crack and scab over, allergic maybe?

Spiders I take outside (my big manly other half squeals at the sight of them, wasps and bees I shoo outside, if I see a lovely big fat furry bumble bee outside on the ground where it'll get squashed I always move them out of the way, the kids do the same with worms on the pavement!

So insects I generally like but slugs, oh god they turn my stomach. Snails for some reason not so bad, I'll pick them and chuck them over the garden wall into the undergrowth. When the veg patch is in full swing in the summer I tape something pointy to a stick and go round picking up all the slugs then scrape my dead slug kebab down the drain. They get into the house quite often, makes me feel violated and.. icky.

Gallstones · **#39** by **Gallstones** » Mar 22, 2010 12:12 am

Ironclad wrote:
Gallstones wrote:
Ironclad wrote:I thought the spider disgust was a primordial survival thingumyboby.. what's the word.? Same for snakes.
No?

I keep snakes and spiders. Well, I have no spiders now except those that have moved in of their own free will. But I have had tarantulas, plan to again, and do have snakes. I don't have that automatic disgust for insects or any creep crawly--except cockroaches and ticks. I loathe the both of them. And if it feeds on me or mine, I kill it without remorse.

I had a mouse in the house last Spring. Now I think mice are cute and charming but I can not allow one to be in the house (the snakes get pre-killed feeders). So, I had to set a trap for it. It was sad, and I did get it which was a good thing because it was a big, healthy female. No I did not feed it to any of the snakes.

While we are on the subject, I have to admit to even more irrationality, I can't bring myself to throw away or neglect a houseplant even if I don't want it anymore. I always try to find it a new home.

Do you feed your spiders and snakes live food? Seems around here, UK, there are frozen rats to feed snakes, "give them a wiggle" - apparently. That seems a touch cruel.
I also have an affinity with house plants, but will quite happily kill flies and mozzies and their bretheren.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Mousecicles. Click on link only if you are not upset by images of frozen mice stacked on a tray.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/370 ... 89a1bb.jpg

Gallstones · **#40** by **Gallstones** » Mar 22, 2010 12:26 am

Mantisdreamz wrote:
Gallstones wrote:
I'm probably a little OC too because I try not to step on ants when they are on the sidewalk. I rescue earthworms from being on the sidewalk by putting them back on the grass. When I lived in So Cal, I used to rescue as many snails as I could after the rain. Pitiful, I know.

That's not that bad. You just see me trying to try my bike on a side walk where snails have come out from the grass... swerving all over the place, looks pretty silly.

The only time I kill insects are worms & crickets for the pets. And sometimes if I have too many crickets I end up just releasing them.

I think pretty much for the same reasons though, why would I kill it. I think they are pretty. edit: most of them.

Speaking of pretty, if one bothers to look, one will see beauty even in insects and molds. Evidence of design? :mrgreen:

Just kidding.

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