I rationalize killing centipedes, which is usually the only bug that terrifies me to bits, as defending my property rights. He/she came into my home uninvited and is wreaking havoc (my fears) so I decided to kill him.
This afternoon, I was doing laundry and there was a potato bug and I wanted to save him from being trampled on. I tried to move him out of harm's way, but I think I accidentally killed him. I felt really bad.
Andrew, I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer, but I will share my thoughts on it.
I don't kill anything purposely, be it insects, lizards, snakes, etc. I came home one day to find a snake was out on my deck, so I caught him, placed in a bucket & took him to the hills to set free. I catch spiders, whatever that may find it's way in, & take them out to the garden.
I believe all living beings have a purpose on this earth & I always put myself into their skins, furs, or feathers, & I wouldn't want a big foot, a swatter, a newspaper or spray coming down on me.
That's just me, & you will surely have other opinions.
If that bug is causing harm to you, then kill it. I don't see why you shouldn't kill a mosquito that brings dengue or a cockroach that bites you and any other destructive insect. So I think it's not wrong to kill an insect. Call me crazy tough but sometimes, when I accidentally step on an ant or any other harmless insect, I slightly feel pity...
01-02-2013, 06:48 AM, (This post was last modified: 01-02-2013, 06:51 AM by jenb128.)
For me, it depends on the insect and whether it's one or two bugs or an entire infestation. If my cat gets fleas, you'd better believe I will treat him, which will kill the fleas. Same if my bird ever gets bird mites. I've had issues with ants in my kitchen the past few summers, and I do what I can to kill the colony (or at least control it) because the ants have a habit of ruining my food. I've had wasps build nests under my awning making my patio unusable, and I spray the hives so I can enjoy my patio again without worry of being stung. I've had carpenter bees boring holes into my patio and I killed them as well. (I admit I felt bad about the bees because they're actually kinda cute). All of those are examples of insects possibly causing harm to myself, my animals or my property. On the other hand, I'll occasionally find a solo boxelder bug, ladybug, fly, moth, or spider in the house, and in those cases, I usually just catch them and put them outside because they aren't really doing me any harm.
I always ask myself that question after killing a bug/insect. I often wonder why do I feel indifferent about killing an insect but when I seen a cat get ran over by a car, I was crying hysterically. I can say I felt bad once after killing an isect and I guess it was because I watched it crawl around for a good thirty minutes before killing. I thought that was beyond evil to torture an insect before killing it but I did it and I felt bad. I don't think you should feel bad if it is in your house. I think if you are going to feel bad about it then you could just sweep it outseife or carry it outside.
I feel that there is absolutely nothing wrong with killing bugs or insects. If they are bothering you to the point where you feel uncomfortable with being in the same room as them then you should kill them as soon as possible. I have heard old saying how killing a spider may or may not bring bad luck but I always tend to brush these "facts" off. I think that if you are a huge animal and earth lover and you feel that killing an insect can bring you bad luck then I would suggest going into another room and letting the poor little creature live. I however am scared of little crawling creatures so therefore if I spot one in my house there is a 99% chance that I will kill it right away.
