Do you feel guilty killing spiders?

[joinanutshell]

Actually, yes. It hasn’t always been that way, but in the past year I’ve been a lot more sensitive than before. (I found this post bcs I was frantically googling whether or not spiders can feel pain). For context: My sister is coming home for christmas and she’s bringing her bf. My mom came up with the idea to get him a venus flytrap since he likes plants. She sent me to buy the plant and I named it Kevin (lol). I joked about feeding the spider in my room to the plant and I just did it. Not even 20 seconds pass and I was whaling (I wish I was kidding, I literally started crying and apologizing to the spider over and over again. I feel bad because I could’ve brought it outside, but instead I chose to kill it. If someone knows whether or not spiders can feel pain, pls tell me

 

[sdkitty]

I won't kill daddy long legs and won't usually kill anything outdoors. Indoors I prefer DH kill them but I will if I have to. Don't really want the cats to do it as they could get bitten.

 

[Cavalier Girl]

I have no problem killing spiders. My DH was deathly afraid of them, so I had no choice. Now, mince are another thing. I have one living in my kitchen for the last couple of months. I've tried to humanely trap it, but it hasn't worked. I can't bring myself to kill it. Am considering naming it, and welcoming it into the family.

 

[kemilia]

I just leave the little critters alone, though a couple of years ago one bit the corner right by my eye and it swelled up so bad and then got itchy. I looked awful and it took a while for things to return to normal but I still leave them alone, take them outside in the summer, ignore them in the colder months.

The orb spiders build incredible webs, they rebuild them each night, I found one on my patio once and watched it weave a beautiful web. I don't see many anymore, probably insecticides and climate change have affected them.

 

[caruava]

If I sight a spider, I kill it without hesitation. It's summer here and where I am the white tails emerge. I was bitten in my sleep last year and that was nasty.

This is a small one. I'm just glad I don't live in the more northern states as their spiders are worse (funnel webs etc.).

 

[Sferics]

I do not kill spiders. Why the hell would I?
It's learned nonsense to be afraid of them, unless you live in an area where they are very poisonous.
They are definitely useful animals - among other things, they make their contribution to a healthy ecosystem by eating other pests such as mosquitoes and potato beetles.
I bring them outside or - like now in the winter - in the basement.

 

[Irishgal]

I do not kill spiders. Why the hell would I?
It's learned nonsense to be afraid of them, unless you live in an area where they are very poisonous.
They are definitely useful animals - among other things, they make their contribution to a healthy ecosystem by eating other pests such as mosquitoes and potato beetles.
I bring them outside or - like now in the winter - in the basement.

This. Even snakes are a critical part of the ecosystem. I do have venomous snakes on my farm which was very different than when I lived in Southern California. But I took a herpetology class for fun and learned a lot.

 

[jen_sparro]

I apologise to all bugs before I dispatch them (and that is normally only if I can't get them out of the house). The only exceptions are flies, mosquitos and cockroaches- I still apologise but feel less guilty.

If they're outside I leave them alone unless they're poisonous and in an area that might mean contact with them or with my pets. I can't harm anything deliberately... I'd 100% starve if I lived back when you had to hunt/fish/raise and kill your own animals.