Do vegetarians kill flys and spiders

[julensaor]

Just that really? Does the vegetarian philosophy only stretch to what goes into the mouth and is digested or is it goodwill to every life that has a presence on this earth?

I can't believe people kill spiders either. I HATE them and we had a huge one in the house last night but I would never let them be killed.

I have severe arachnophobia. At one point I had to move house because it seemed to harbour hundreds of spiders. I started hallucinating, seeing them everywhere. I have uncontrollable anxiety attacks when I have one. I spray them or throw shoes, books at them if I'm feeling brave. I have to check my whole bedroom every night no matter the weather before I can sleep.

I'm not vegetarian, just thought I'd shed some light on why someone might kill a spider.

@BertrandRussell
I was about to post the same word for word.
Excluding those of you who live where they’re poisonous, why would you kill spiders?

@MhysaMhysa
I crossposted with you, that’s a severe reaction and understandable you’d want them out. There seems to be a lot of casual ‘eugh- bug- kill’ which I don’t understand though.

I kill mosquitoes, moths and some flies, though generally I prefer to evict bugs. I don’t mind harmless spiders in the house. They do a good job of catching flies.

Who knows how intelligent anything is? It is contrary to choosing some not to eat and others it is ok. look at the new tribe discovered in the amazon, are we going to eat them?

I'm surprised you took my post talking about why I wouldn't want to kill a pig but wouldn't mind someone killing an ant to suggest that I might want to eat an amazon tribe. Do you really think that's what I'm advocating?

Yes we can make some observations about the sentience, self-awareness and intelligence of different species. By studying their natural behaviour, behavioural experiments and examining their brain and nervous systems.

So compare a chimpanzee, a pig, a chicken, an ant, a flea, a bacterium. They are obviously capable of differing levels of understanding and awareness, and I would have varying levels of concern about whether they died and how they were treated.

Then I know other vegetarians who regard every life as equal and will put head lice out the window rather than kill them (I would feel sorry for any passing fox or rabbit they leapt onto!) and say "poor mosquitos" when they hear about malarial eradication programmes.

I'm a vegetarian but I do kill various things, moths primarily at the moment.

I suppose that the “ philosophy” of my vegetarianism is based in how I feel.
I can relate to the suffering in farming in a way I can’t with insects. This may well be my limited imagination, but it’s the driving force behind it for me.
It’s not logical, ( though it’s not illogical either) it’s a feeling based decision.

I started this thread because it it a philosophy

Well, it is not a philosopy so thats why you don't get it.

I dont eat dead animals. I grow a fair portion of my own fruit and veg. If i didn't rub off cabbage white butterfly eggs, or feed the caterpillars to the birds, I would get any brassicas to eat. If I didn't use nematodes to get rid of slugs I'd probably have no food to eat at all.

The assumption that the label "vegetarian" means one thing only and that all who either label themselves or are labelled so share the same philosophy and reasoning, (or even the same lifestyle), is ridiculous.

I don't eat meat - but for different reasons from my DD who does not eat meat or fish. I also don't eat ready meals, breakfast cereals or drink fizzy drinks. So..?.

If I tried to explain to the waiter in a restaurant what I do and don't like we'd be there all day. And he would probably at some point say "Ah - vegetarian".

And yes I kill flies in the house but not spiders. Also pests, (fleas, nits, moths, rats, mice, slugs, ants, mosquitoes, wasps, greenfly etc when they are in "the wrong place" and threaten to cause harm)

I started this thread because it it a philosophy and killing anything does not sit with that philosophy.

I was vegetarian for 20 years. It wasn’t a philosophy at all, I just didn’t like meat. I now eat meat occasionally but I wouldn’t particularly miss it if I never ate it again.

Me and DH are vegetarian and have been for over 35 years.

DH became vegetarian because of animal welfare issues. I became vegetarian because I didn't like meat.

Over the years though I have become more concerned about animal welfare and we now don't use cow's milk only oat milk. I also only eat vegan cheese. Neither of us would wear leather.

We don't believe it is right to take any life although, obviously, in some cases such as lice or fleas it is necessary.

We don't kill any spiders even though I am pretty scared of them, flies, wasps (I am allergic to their sting) etc. We don't kill any slugs or snails in the garden. If we get overrun with them we collect them up and take them to the woods.

We have two dogs and don't just use flea treatments for no reason. We would only use them if the dogs got fleas. In almost 40 years of having dogs we have only once had fleas

There seems to be a lot of casual ‘eugh- bug- kill’ which I don’t understand though.

I do agree with this even though I know it makes me a hypocrite. I teach my children not to kill insects, my DP was a bee killer before he met me and I won't let him kill them anymore, I feel horrible if I squish a snail.

But if I left spiders in my house my mental health would suffer, so I choose me over them.

I have in the past farmed flies to feed frogs, which isn't much better than squishing them though.

I think this question would apply more to vegans than vegetarians.

I'm vegetarian. Why? Because I dont agree with halai butchery practices and generally not liking how animal life is reared for financial gain.

Do i kill insects? Yes - flies, mosquitoes, wasps, slugs.

Omnivore here and I don't kill flies and spiders - I catch and release them. It's not hard. I imagine vegetarians are equally capable of doing so.

I would think it’s more of a Vegan mindset that would stop them from killing flies and spiders. I went on a vegan retreat in my twenties and there was a girl who was crying as people were sweeping the ants off the dining table and killing them in the process.

I am an omnivore and kill flies, but not spiders.

Some do, some don't

Some do, some don't. I'm a vegetarian and I don't. I even rescued a wasp from my £3.50 milkshake the other day too!

Vegan here although have been veggie for years and years. Don’t kill flies and spiders.

I will admit I killed a tick the other day. Didn’t know what to do with it really couldn’t release it in case it got on the dog again, so killed it

I was veggie for 30 years and am now vegan.

I find it hard to kill anything. This stems from childhood when I'd get upset about kids stamping on ants, pulling wigs off flies etc. I've always been upset by putting down ant killer, seeing my cats bring in creatures and even seeing ants scurrying when I move the washing line pole! It was probably inevitable that as a child I'd become veggie.

Worming, defleaing, nits and mosquitos are my exceptions.

I'm spooked out by spiders but respect them as living creatures and find their skills incredible. I have to leave them if I see one in the house. I'd never dream of killing one.

The only way to avoid animal cruelty is to live naked on a mountain top drinking stream water according to a Times article from the 1980s!

The clothes we wear, the products we use, the restaurants we dine in, the bread we eat (I was reading how many field mice are killed during this process) can harm and impact on creatures. It is impossible to avoid.

So yes, we are all hypocrites and I would never claim to be completely animal cruelty free (my cats eat meat for a start) but I do think that I have always been sensitive to these things when friends might just swat a fly or kill a spider. But it isn't a competition to see who's the most devout because sadly, humans do kill insects intentionally and unintentionally (how many 'bugs' might we step on in the park. Should we stay home?).

Wings off flies, not wigs (now picturing a fly in a Michael Fabricant wig).

I kill nits and fleas, I’d kill a tick if I ever saw one too. Don’t kill anything else.

All vegetarians are indirectly responsible for killing insects, slugs, mice, rats etc. The farmers who produce the crops they eat will all be using methods to destroy vermin which prey on their produce.

But I don’t think you can say that therefore there’s no moral value in vegetarianism. They still kill a lot fewer mammals and fish than the rest of us. And eat a healthier diet, if they do it right!

Sweet kitty out of curiosity what do you feed your dogs?

I'm not sure why you would kill a spider or a fly. Nope. I'd have to kill head lice.