Do You Kill Insects?

[garro]

I would previously avoid this as much as possible but must admit that since our baby was born I do it frequently. What are other people's views on this?

[2long]

Yes, but not ants. I ask them to leave and they do.

[lazeeboy]

everyday i have enough mouths to feed already

[ashacat]

Yes, but not ants. I ask them to leave and they do

Our secretary does this as well.

[camerata]

I avoid it as much as possible. If there is a mosquito in my room I'll catch it in a clear plastic box and set it free outside. And I never swat insects. Spraying Lemonene (from orange peel) on surfaces will keep ants away.

[Austhaied]

I now try and avoid it a smuch as possible. Although shooing them away often results in their death. Although that is / was not my intention.

[ozzydom]

Only about 100,000 fire ants a week,unprovoked attacks on me demand swift retribution.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Not often as we have a exterminator come by regularly.

[chutai]

I would previously avoid this as much as possible but must admit that since our baby was born I do it frequently. What are other people's views on this?

I don't kill any insect if that can be avoided. Although yOOng do test the principle somewhat. Even that man displaying undoubted universal compassion , the present Dalai Lama, admitted that it was difficult to show compassion towards mosquitoes.

camerata's solution seems interesting, although I can see practical problems with that as ,generally, I don't think that I'd be quick enough to catch them. Insect wipes are good, but the do run out and I've yet to come across them being sold in Thailand.

As for ants, they fascinate me. But unfortunately do come a cropper if they're in the sink and there's no other practical alternative but to wash them away whe turning on the tap; followed by a token chant for them though.

[nidge]

Mosquitoes and flies are all on a death wish if they come near me. Ants only die if they draw first blood. The rest are safe.

[chownah]

I'm an organic farmer and I know the importance of insects as member of the ecosystem...but....the primary work of the farmer (whether organic or not) is to alter the environment so that it favors their crops over animals and other plants. I do kill insects and rodents too. I avoid it as much as possible but if they pose a problem then I take action. For instance...I don't go out and kill every insect I see even if it is a "bad" one. No need to kill them all since having a few around attracts the natural predators which keep them in check. Rodents eat a portion of some of my crops...I allow for this to a degree but if the population gets out of hand and takes too large a share then I put out poison. When taking action to kill insects and rodents I often pause to think about what I am doing, to give a respectful thought to the animals I am killing, and to think of my own mortality....and allow that if I should be dealt with in the same way then that is only appropriate and fair.

chownah

Edited February 25, 2008 by chownah

[Momo8]

Yeah well if there was a nuclear war and all the humans died it's some consolation to know that only the bloody cockroaches would survive.

Live and let live but cockroaches and mozzies die if they come near me.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Momo8

[2long]

Asking ants to leave wokrs. Even in English.

[2long]

Works, not wokrs, I"m pished

[submaniac]

The only insects that I do make an effort at killing are Mosquitos. I figure since they could carry malaria, menengitis (sp?), yellow fever, or whatnot it is self defense. I got a dressing down at because I was trying to swat mosquitos...inside a temple...while one of the nuns was talking.

Cockroaches...I do allow them to live. Because I really do not like cleaning up dead ones. A little broom, sweep sweep out the front door is how I handle them.

ER pardon for asking but is that cactus on your avatar or something that looks like genitalia?

I do not know what exactly it is...but from the smile on his face...it appears he is quite happy it is there.

[fabianfred]

all beings value life and we should not take it from them......even insects flee when we try to swat them.....

I tend to ignore mosquitos...if I get bitten and are sick as a result...I reckon that is my karma...although obviously I do not welcome being bitten and do not hang around outside, sweaty and smelly in the evenings dressed in short sleeves, but bathe and cover up just as asians do..

ants are really only a problem if we are lazy about putting away food and dishes etc. ...they scout individually and only come in force if they find something

[Pepe']

Also I try not to.

When I have I chant one of the names of Vishnu so they may have an elevated birth next time...

[IMA_FARANG]

all beings value life and we should not take it from them......even insects flee when we try to swat them.....

I tend to ignore mosquitos...if I get bitten and are sick as a result...I reckon that is my karma...although obviously I do not welcome being bitten and do not hang around outside, sweaty and smelly in the evenings dressed in short sleeves, but bathe and cover up just as asians do..

ants are really only a problem if we are lazy about putting away food and dishes etc. ...they scout individually and only come in force if they find something

For those who wish to do so, there are repellents that will deter mosquitos from biting. And as you say keeping food from being left out will deter ants from coming around. There are also repellents you can place around that will help to keep ants away...even natural ones that you can use and won't kill the insects.

But personally, except for the normal cleanliness mentioned above, I don't bother to take to much care to avoid it. I don't go out of my way to attempt to kill them, but if they accidently get killed....isn't that their Karma?

How would I justify obstructing the chance at rebirth of an insect as a higher being?

[philliphn]

"Do you kill insects"

Yes, they are delicious.

[chownah]

"Do you kill insects"

Yes, they are delicious.

Do you kill the insects you eat?

chownah

[Spiny]

I would previously avoid this as much as possible but must admit that since our baby was born I do it frequently. What are other people's views on this?

I have a couple of the ultrasonic beeping devices at home which seems to work to discourage ants, mossies and roaches while not harming them.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

"Do you kill insects"

Yes, they are delicious.

Do you kill the insects you eat?

chownah

They commit suicide don't they ?

[CuriousGeorge77]

everytime you wash your sheets you kill an untold number of insects....

[sabaijai]

everytime you wash your sheets you kill an untold number of insects....

True.

[DirkGently]

Somebody here catches mozzies in a plastic bag and sets them free.

If it is an insect in my apartment without an invite it gets killed.

How do you feel about bacteria?

[CuriousGeorge77]

Bacteria aren't animals. Plants show much more responsiveness to their environment than bacteria do. Some plants even move and eat animals, and there is some evidence that they communicate (somewhat) with each other with chemicals, and that they defend themselves to the extent they can.

For example, A kind of tree has the ability to make a certain insect repellant. However, it takes a lot of energy to make, so that they don't normally make it. However, when said tree comes under attack, it will not only start to make the insecticide, it will start to release what is basically a plant pheromone. Other trees of the same species detect the pheromone and start producing the insecticide - even if they haven't encountered any insects themselves.

..even insects flee when we try to swat them.....

Thus, plants, too, try to defend themselves. That also goes for the rice you are eating (little baby plants, snuffed out before they really had a chance to get going) or the chilis. The capsacin that makes the hot flavor also comes from the seeds... again little baby plants.

Back to bacteria, though ... Humans are essentially large groups of cloned bacteria working together. Cells know to differentiate into liver cells and hair cells by the chemicals around them when they are 'born'. but they are essentially the same thing, and we can get any cell in the body from any other cell.

We even have another life form that permeates our every cell (nearly every cell) in the form of mitochondria. They are not genetically related to us, and are significantly different from us, but we live symbiotically with them.

Se we are not really that different from the millions of bacteria living in our intestinal tracts helping us digest, or the millions on our skin defending us from malicious invaders, or the ones that give us bad breath.

[DirkGently]

George, that's a bonkers message. Who mentioned plants?

If insects become a hazard to ones health, what is wrong with killing them?

Mozzies can pass dengue fever on to me. Electronic tennis racket for them.

Cockroaches are filthy. Sole of a shoe sorts them out.

Rats can pass on a number of natsty stuff. Cage and a bucket of water for them.

Soi dogs are basically vermin with character. If I could get away with it.................

[fabianfred]

I think the basic requirement is

1...that we actually intend to kill......actively swatting etc....not just washing our sheets

2. they refer to sentient beings....not plants, bacteria, etc.

[CuriousGeorge77]

DG:

Who mentioned bacteria? Who cares? I'm sorry if it seemed off topic - I guess I didn't make a good segway.

Fabianfred:

That would be true up until you found out that you have living things in your sheets. If you still wash them then you are knowingly killing animals (unless you forget).

What is sentience? That is part of the argument I was making - plants display aspects of sentience. They react to their environment and tell their family members about it. There is a lot we don't know about how it all works, and there will be a *very* fine line to walk, defining sentience, when its all said and done.

Unless sentience derives directly from God and is mystical and magical, it is something that is present, in some degree or another, to a FAR greater extent than we realize. A lot of human behavior isn't any higher than that I described by the trees. Certainly more highly organized, but fundamentally the same stuff. Is it the organization that imbues sentience? I doubt it - the level of organization might be correlated to or related to sentience level, but I don't see how it would affect sentience itself. it has been fairly well established that there is no seat of conciusness, no seat of sentience in the brain, so a specific structore is also ruled out ... unless we alone have it.

I am playing the devils advocate to some degree here. This whole aspect of things is actually something I find utterly cool about Buddhism. I think that, from what I can ascertain about the direction Buddhism takes regarding impermanence, changing identity, and actually being the same stuff that everything else is ... well, I think thats right on and I think science will support that notion eventually.

In regards to killing insects, my personal feelings on the matter is summed up by "be nice" and "be aware." I don't think that it will ever be possible not to negatively affect trillions and trillions of other life forms in your lifetime, so that whole path is not one that leads toward edification. Its not something that you can untie.

Rather, I currently see it in terms of intent, and leave it at that. Its the same with eating meat. Thats a similar intractable problem if you see yourself as seperate from them, and that you shouldn't hurt them. I am not anywhere close to realizing the union of everything, but I can see that once you do realize that then sheet washing becomes a bit less problematic.

[pampal]

I only kill the blood sucking instects