What do vegans do about headlice?

[Wellsbells]

Just finished the first round of nit treatment for the term and this has just occurred to me!

With vegans it seems quite straightforward that pests or harmful creature sometimes have to die. I could renounce all animal products, but I’d be buggered if I’d going to put up with head lice, fleas or whatever.

Followers of Jain avoid violence against and/or causing the death of any living creature. When we visited a Jain temple in India, we were told that aside from the obvious, they don’t drive or cook on an open fire after dark, because insects will be drawn to the light and be killed. I assume they’d go down the ‘kitchen towel and release into the wild’ route.

My son is a vegan who tells us how evil and murderous we are for eating meat. However, when he had a wasp nest in the loft space above his bedroom and the pest controller came round, son urged him to "make sure you kill them all!!!"

Well I try not to ask idiotic baity questions anyway Well, that's part of the great divide isn't it?

OP said, quite clearly, the thought occurred to her as she was involved in de-lousing. Most posters took that and responded in the same vein.

But not everyone - some took umbrage!

The point is that not everyone is vegan or gives veganism a moment's thought... until a situation gives rise to such a thought!

Then all vegans get 2 options:

1. Join the conversation and explain.
2. Snipe and reinforce that stereotype

Nice to see the same old same old happening here...

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Well I try not to ask idiotic baity questions anyway Well, that's part of the great divide isn't it?

OP said, quite clearly, the thought occurred to her as she was involved in de-lousing. Most posters took that and responded in the same vein.

But not everyone - some took umbrage!

The point is that not everyone is vegan or gives veganism a moment's thought... until a situation gives rise to such a thought!

Then all vegans get 2 options:

1. Join the conversation and explain.
2. Snipe and reinforce that stereotype

Nice to see the same old same old happening here...

I'm not a vegan

I'm vegan and would kill off the headlice (not had to put this into practice yet). Comes under the heading of pestilence in my house

I quite like thinking about logical what-ifs tbh!

I save each and every one and tenderly transfer them to the special louse retirement hotel I have built especially for them

Vegan principals are to avoid harm to animals ‘as far as is possible and practicable’ not ‘at all costs’

Do people really think all vegans are animal rights crusaders? Some people just don't eat animal products, end of story

@Ponoka7

I was Vegan, gardening brings up ethical dilemmas as well. Generally anything that is a threat to health can be eradicated. It still applies speciesism, but everything would eventually die, if it wasn't applied. In terms of pests on vegetables, again it's a threat to health (of plants and others) and the wider environment, so they can be dealt with. Vegans will always try natural means to control pests, tje common one in gardening is companion planting or introducing another species.

The phrase 'to the best of my ability' is within the vegan mantra. A lot of vegan decisions around these issues follow the Buddhist thoughts on intent. So 'what is the intent behind the act', is a question often asked.

I have this dilemma every year! I can't very well kill the slugs, but I do have a birdbath situated in my veg patch in the hopes that birds might kill them for me. I'm sure I'm on shaky vegan philosophical ground encouraging predators to the area, but I can more or less sleep at night this way

I did try killing them once as it was a bumper year for slugs. I have never felt so guilty!!

"Veganism is a dietary choice".

People are vegan for a variety of reasons. People follow it to different degrees, for some it is a entire lifestyle. It's still difficult, especially if you want meat eating pets etc.

Did anyone else click on this thinking the OP was going to reveal that Hedrin is made out of meat? [face slap]

@WarmSausageTea

With vegans it seems quite straightforward that pests or harmful creature sometimes have to die. I could renounce all animal products, but I’d be buggered if I’d going to put up with head lice, fleas or whatever.

Followers of Jain avoid violence against and/or causing the death of any living creature. When we visited a Jain temple in India, we were told that aside from the obvious, they don’t drive or cook on an open fire after dark, because insects will be drawn to the light and be killed. I assume they’d go down the ‘kitchen towel and release into the wild’ route.

Thank you!! I was trying to remember this, I worked with a girl who practiced this, it was fascinating to hear about. She wasn't strict as she lived over here but her grandparents in India were very strict so she couldn't tell them she has a fridge as it kills bacteria!! Or something like that,🤣 so interesting.

I guess they could catch them in a comb and pop them on the head of a passer-by - after all if they release them into say a field they will die since they are parasites and need a host on which to feed.

The quandary

I understood that even "strict" vegans weren't against the killing as such, but rather against using animals to benefit humans. So they won't have milk or eggs, even though that doesn't kill the relevant animals (I know current practices may do indirectly, but in theory!), won't eat honey, won't use leather or silk, many won't have pets or visit zoos and so on... But killing headlice isn't "using" the headlice - rather the headlice are using the person, so I would think it would be ethically fine to remove them (even if you potentially killed them in the process) .

I can understand that some religions (Buddhism?) that consider all life to be sacred may have an issue, though.

@unmarkedbythat

I save each and every one and tenderly transfer them to the special louse retirement hotel I have built especially for them

Shocking - you do realise that unless the special louse retirement home is on top of someone's head they will die @unmarkedbythat

You know there is no vegan rule book. You don’t get thrown out of the club for stepping on ants. Anyone who doesn’t eat meat or dairy is technically a vegan then the whole vegan products side of things is individual.
I don’t know why people love to catch out the vegans for perceived holes in their logic. I bet most meat eaters eat free range eggs but not free range pork. But you I’m don’t hear vegans banging on about the lack of logic in that.

Shit. My halo suddenly looks a bit tarnished

What do they need to stay alive, it the hair, the skin flakes or the blood?

Cross posted with everyone else! That'll teach me to get distracted...

I'm a vegan.
Never had head lice but if I did I'm afraid I'd be getting rid. I few the same about any parasite infecting my body - if I had worms it's be the same!

Never had head-lice in 38 years (top tip, wash your hair less, natural oils keep them away). Are they itchy and unpleasant? If so, as a vegan I guess I would probably have to do physical removal and feel sorry for removing them from their habitat, but also be pragmatic that sometimes regretfully it is necessary to remove pests or things that cause harm. Flies and moths get let out the window. Spiders are always welcome as a peat control. I really like silverfish and beetles so always pleased to see them (rare).
Mozzies I try to release but if non-cooperative they do get squashed (with regret) because I am allergic and swell up massively when bitten. Wasps try to avoid and trap/release (also allergic). Ticks are removed from dogs and killed for welfare of dog. Likewise flea treatment. Bedbugs would be the same if I ever had those. I try to coexist peacefully but the ones that cause health issues I am afraid must be dealt with.

Mice, pigeons etc only ever treated humanely, garden mouse gets a bit of spare birdseed. Pigeon is very fat now. Sparrows live on ivy on the front of our house and are basically pets (not that they realise). Snails and slugs get removed and relocated (frogs seem to deal with a lot of them) and we use companion planting and barrier methods on plants.

We do the best we can. But in principle I think everything has a right to exist and share the space we occupy

@unmarkedbythat that’s lovely ❤️ And yes, re @TiersTiersTiers question, did you build it on your head?

I'm not a vegan But you were snarky!

Kill them. You don't cause unnecessary harm to animals, and you dont cause harm for your pleasure. But you can morally kill parasites that are putting your own health at risk. See also, ticks and mosquitos. Although I did used to try to catch and release mosquitos outside of they got in the house. But they take the opportunity to bite you so they lost that.

I don't think it's an idiotic or goady question and frankly some of you are just rude because you.expect any question to be that 🤷🏻 Which says more about you then about the other person.

It's actually interesting to hear it is considered a defence. I know insects are included (the fig discussion), bacteria isn't (not sentient) so now I know that fleas and nits are allowed to be dealt with too.

If people stop being bitchy with no reason, these types of questions can actually lead to interesting debates where people can learn more

Headlice, cat fleas etc are parasites so they need to be got rid of really.

Thank you to the actual vegans who answered my question! It honestly did just occur to me and I was genuinely curious, not meaning to be baity