General Discussion

TimberValley

(318 posts) Fri Apr 5, 2013, 01:08 PM Apr 2013

113

People should stop killing spiders for no good reason. [View all]

This is an odd topic, but I find it upsetting when people kill creatures like spiders for no reason other than that they are scared by them. Spiders eat insects and do humans a favor. Sure, some spiders can be dangerous to humans (i.e., black widows and brown recluses,) but not the majority - nor is that the main reason why spiders are being killed.

Too often people see spiders and say "Kill it! Kill it!" without seriously questioning why.

Maybe this is more to the point: I don't like it when people kill animals - of any kind - for no good reason other than that they don't like the sight of them. It is unjustified, it is ignorant behavior, and it serves no good purpose.

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People should stop killing spiders for no good reason. [View all] TimberValley Apr 2013 OP

Spiders live all around my home. They come inside to die. Buzz Clik Apr 2013 #1

Same here! n/t woodsprite Apr 2013 #3

Yes. If they intrude on my living space, they are dead spiders. Arkansas Granny Apr 2013 #38

Sounds more like a brown recluse bite. nt awoke_in_2003 Apr 2013 #175

She always said it's was a black widow. This was Arkansas Granny Apr 2013 #179

Thank you Buzz, I couldn't of said it any better. I'm scared to death of them and I can't take the southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #93

That is precisely the kind of attitude that feeds a lot of ignorance in society. TimberValley Apr 2013 #112

Am sorry am not going to feel guilty about that. That is a genuine fear of spiders and snakes. southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #114

If someone had a "genuine fear" of dogs and cats....... TimberValley Apr 2013 #121

No because I don't own a gun but living in the country humans who don't want their dogs or cats southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #126

I am horrified of daddy long legs. Kudos to you for picking one up. I would be screaming and losing Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #141

Now if that was a regular spider I would probably out scream you, LOL. Funny how people southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #143

Psychologically I know that DLL are harmless, but I had a very traumatic experience with them Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #144

I remember as a child getting stung by a bee and to this day I am afraid of bees. But I usually run southernyankeebelle Apr 2013 #145

Daddy longlegs aren't spiders...they're most closely related to sir pball Apr 2013 #196

"That spider had just as much right to live as you or I" hfojvt Apr 2013 #113

YES!!! SkyDaddy7 Apr 2013 #217

Oh yeah... SkyDaddy7 Apr 2013 #218

Insects are animals ..... oldhippie Apr 2013 #235

OK, My bad... SkyDaddy7 Apr 2013 #236

Sorry, but my walkway and entryways are spider-free zones Dreamer Tatum Apr 2013 #2

Yep... ariesgem Apr 2013 #168

Misunderstood Spider is one of my favorite memes. Brickbat Apr 2013 #4

heheh octothorpe Apr 2013 #19

My Dad never killed spiders he said they were "lucky" and they killed silver fish! xtraxritical Apr 2013 #205

I kill black widows and brown recluses pintobean Apr 2013 #5

Same here. I view spiders as beneficial insects. Butterbean Apr 2013 #201

Thank you for this thread! Helen Reddy Apr 2013 #6

I agree. Wait Wut Apr 2013 #7

I kill nothing but Chinese Stink bugs... haikugal Apr 2013 #8

Wasps die Taverner Apr 2013 #100

They belong to the eco system... haikugal Apr 2013 #104

Wasps and Scorpions need to be deleted from the ecosystem Taverner Apr 2013 #106

Well.... haikugal Apr 2013 #124

Probably...also a good reason not to elect me "god" Taverner Apr 2013 #131

No fear there lol haikugal Apr 2013 #134

Wuss... xtraxritical Apr 2013 #206

Pure ignorance and mindless fear Nitram Apr 2013 #210

You...you...vespae lover!!!! Taverner Apr 2013 #219

OMG I could not agree more!!! LOL! They keep building nests around my roof Lisa0825 Apr 2013 #221

Tracker jackers! Goddamn tracker jackers!!!! Taverner Apr 2013 #225

I catch spiders in my house and release them LittleBlue Apr 2013 #9

Leave the little ones inside.. they catch those annoying gnats and flies inside.. X_Digger Apr 2013 #41

Yes, and mosquitoes. slackmaster Apr 2013 #185

For years I have been catching spiders for my wife... Earth_First Apr 2013 #10

I simply catch them and put them outside G_j Apr 2013 #11

Same here. I find all life to be fascinating and would never squash a spider. n/t FSogol Apr 2013 #20

me too hibbing Apr 2013 #96

Ditto for snakes. GoCubsGo Apr 2013 #12

Used to have a pet tarantula ProfessionalLeftist Apr 2013 #13

Everyone knows it's GOOD LUCK to have a spider in your house Matariki Apr 2013 #14

...not for the spider. Buzz Clik Apr 2013 #30

Normally I would totally agree with you. I am a big animal person. Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #15

keep an open mind Enrique Apr 2013 #21

My sister had a spider just drop on her out of the blue when she was little. Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #24

I learned to be horribly afraid haikugal Apr 2013 #47

Aaargh, Brown Recluses ... Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #77

Me too, spiders are the bugs that I least want crawling around my house Silent3 Apr 2013 #44

I live in the Pacific Northwest and every August or so Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #49

me too! Viva_La_Revolution Apr 2013 #159

We're all hallucinating and muttering to ourselves and making rapid swiping motions to our face ... Arugula Latte Apr 2013 #171

Totally agree. Smilo Apr 2013 #16

I don't kill them ...... I run away! polly7 Apr 2013 #17

Hopefully your dad wasn't across the country... octothorpe Apr 2013 #22

No, only a couple of miles away. But he'd been watching his baseball game, so polly7 Apr 2013 #28

I'm with you on this one, TimberValley. narnian60 Apr 2013 #18

seems like bad karma to kill spiders Enrique Apr 2013 #23

Spiders are our friends! immoderate Apr 2013 #25

I usually let them be if they are just hanging out. octothorpe Apr 2013 #26

I always help them outside if I find one in the house. RiffRandell Apr 2013 #27

I agree d_r Apr 2013 #29

Easy Technique for Spider Removal IdaBriggs Apr 2013 #31

That's my technique wryter2000 Apr 2013 #51

It's a good reason to buy the book... Bay Boy Apr 2013 #87

ROFL wryter2000 Apr 2013 #120

LOL blaze Apr 2013 #125

zOMG Jamastiene Apr 2013 #158

yup fizzgig Apr 2013 #64

Missed a few steps dlauthor Apr 2013 #70

A small design flaw in your plan: What about jumping spiders? Taverner Apr 2013 #101

I do this with bees and wasps, too. Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #160

I love the little jumping spiders. longship Apr 2013 #32

And some of them are AMAZING to look at up close.. X_Digger Apr 2013 #48

I had this as a neighbor last year stonecutter357 Apr 2013 #71

I'd *love* to get one of those under my scope for photos. *sigh* n/t X_Digger Apr 2013 #74

My dad took a bunch of macro photos of jumping spiders years ago. eppur_se_muova Apr 2013 #81

Agreed Richard D Apr 2013 #95

There was a spider zappaman Apr 2013 #33

We love our little spiders. X_Digger Apr 2013 #34

OMG! Look at those googlie eyes and hairy legs! Outta here ..... nt. polly7 Apr 2013 #36

D'aww, he just wants a belly rub.. X_Digger Apr 2013 #39

Unless they can harm you there is no good reason to kill them. undeterred Apr 2013 #35

I don't go out of my way to kill spiders (or much else) but slugs, on the other hand... Shrike47 Apr 2013 #37

Catch and release is the way to go mokawanis Apr 2013 #40

I get two pieces of paper, shove the little guy with one onto the second... joeybee12 Apr 2013 #42

Me too. Demoiselle Apr 2013 #123

Agreed...nt joeybee12 Apr 2013 #139

Spiders also serve as 'canaries in the coal mine' closeupready Apr 2013 #43

I finally stopped wryter2000 Apr 2013 #45

Yup AsahinaKimi Apr 2013 #46

Read "Grandmother Spider" fadedrose Apr 2013 #50

Is it ok to kill other insects? kudzu22 Apr 2013 #52

I like spiders, but i still kill them when if i find them inside my house. darkangel218 Apr 2013 #53

Even nonvenomous spider bites can cause real probkems. and they aren't tblue37 Apr 2013 #182

I almost died from a brown recluse spider bite. If a spider gets in my house, it's gone. Sorry. antigop Apr 2013 #54

Kill a spider and you'll make it rain, JEB Apr 2013 #55

There would never be a drought near me. cherokeeprogressive Apr 2013 #68

If they want to come inside, let 'em build their own house. Gidney N Cloyd Apr 2013 #56

With me, it depends on the spider Trailrider1951 Apr 2013 #57

Statistically speaking dangin Apr 2013 #58

so long as they stay outdoors, fine eShirl Apr 2013 #59

My grandfather, a farmer, taught me to love spiders. JDPriestly Apr 2013 #60

This was at my old place in Anaheim.... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #61

Orb-weavers are the most amazing creatures! MindPilot Apr 2013 #103

First time I saw orb spiders was along the Kalamazoo River... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #133

Most people are arachnophobic caseymoz Apr 2013 #62

I have a catch and release program in my house warrior1 Apr 2013 #63

"if you want to live and thrive--let a spider run alive." MindPilot Apr 2013 #65

Are "brown widows" brown recluses? Never heard of brown widows. juajen Apr 2013 #79

We don't have brown recluses here -- brown widows are kind of a new species MindPilot Apr 2013 #92

I've seen them in my back yard. Le Taz Hot Apr 2013 #136

And their webs are incredibly tenacious. MindPilot Apr 2013 #148

Not sure why they've taken over so completely but the first time I saw one Le Taz Hot Apr 2013 #150

It's plain old ignorance killing most spiders. Starts with a culture that shits on science classes Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2013 #66

If you need a good reason to kill spiders, OnyxCollie Apr 2013 #67

Yea, I'd heard about that. Love this band. Crazy. Inkfreak Apr 2013 #172

I like having spiders airplaneman Apr 2013 #69

Hobo Spiders are common around here: IDemo Apr 2013 #72

"If you want to live and thrive, let a spider run alive" slor Apr 2013 #73

+1 n/t azurnoir Apr 2013 #110

True. I encourage them in my garden, but I don't want them in my house, particularly since we Cleita Apr 2013 #75

I am sending them to the next life when I squash them. GiveMeFreedom Apr 2013 #76

Please stop doing that! MindPilot Apr 2013 #138

"Don’t worry, spiders, I keep house casually." Flaxbee Apr 2013 #78

I got a bug vacuume from hedonics to catch and release the spiders. applegrove Apr 2013 #80

I operate a fredamae Apr 2013 #82

When I was a kid we had a black widow in the basement aint_no_life_nowhere Apr 2013 #83

Never saw scorpians in my 20 year old house. LeftInTX Apr 2013 #152

My aunt was taking a shower one morning and a scorpion aint_no_life_nowhere Apr 2013 #155

Eeww!!! That is emotionally scarring. LeftInTX Apr 2013 #169

Shoes and door ways... haikugal Apr 2013 #176

Or pants. Don't leave pants on the floor and put them on the next morning. Butterbean Apr 2013 #202

The little ones are the worst... haikugal Apr 2013 #213

I make sure people here at work know not to kill spiders. Fantastic Anarchist Apr 2013 #84

I leave spiders alone; they eat insects. The Velveteen Ocelot Apr 2013 #85

I used to have a spider living in my sink. eppur_se_muova Apr 2013 #86

Must have been the elusive 'Rug Thief Spider' (aracnoidae persiabscondia) X_Digger Apr 2013 #90

Can I kill cockroaches? n/t Bay Boy Apr 2013 #88

I don't like 'em AtheistCrusader Apr 2013 #89

We frequently get a lot of spiny orb weaver spiders inside the screen awning of my pool patio. Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2013 #91

I agree. Superb pest control. harun Apr 2013 #94

I am an arachnophobe distantearlywarning Apr 2013 #97

Same here. Luckily, I have never had problems with a spider infestatstion. smirkymonkey Apr 2013 #174

You probably shouldn't LWolf Apr 2013 #198

I try desperately to sweep them out of the house Taverner Apr 2013 #98

Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2013 #99

I was terrified of insects & spiders for years. CrispyQ Apr 2013 #102

I catch them and put them outside... Phentex Apr 2013 #105

If they are near the basement walls, they are probably near an air leak, Kolesar Apr 2013 #107

Spiders are cool Politicalboi Apr 2013 #108

Spiders are fantastic creatures! defacto7 Apr 2013 #109

Thank you Timber Valley. (And belated welcome to DU.) truedelphi Apr 2013 #111

+ 1,000 Bertha Venation Apr 2013 #115

I try to get them into a jar and dump them outside... I try. Liberal_in_LA Apr 2013 #116

meh. . . Algebra Palin Apr 2013 #117

There is Always the Eternal Debate On the Road Apr 2013 #118

Sorry. LittleGirl Apr 2013 #119

I had a spider once that lived in my car Canuckistanian Apr 2013 #122

I generally leave most MynameisBlarney Apr 2013 #127

Spiders caught in my basement xloadiex Apr 2013 #128

I kill the Widows but other than that Le Taz Hot Apr 2013 #129

I must be that weird too. Jamastiene Apr 2013 #163

Great topic, TimberValley and I totally agree mike dub Apr 2013 #130

Our house is Spider Heaven moonbeam23 Apr 2013 #132

Reminds me of this catchnrelease Apr 2013 #135

Funny Eintech Apr 2013 #137

Spiders eat bugs but my cat eats the spiders. Liberal_Stalwart71 Apr 2013 #140

Yep. See my post below. n/t Laffy Kat Apr 2013 #188

I never kill them treestar Apr 2013 #142

K&R Jamastiene Apr 2013 #146

People who are catching the indoor spiders and 'setting them free', are most llikely killing them MerryBlooms Apr 2013 #147

Yes. Thank you for this. nt Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #162

I'm carrying out daddy long-legs and they Le Taz Hot Apr 2013 #166

Carolina Wolf Spiders are not "indoor" house spiders. Jamastiene Apr 2013 #167

first, welcome to DU blaze Apr 2013 #149

I let'em live around the house. Anything that kills roaches is my friend. LeftInTX Apr 2013 #151

I never kill spiders unless Lebam in LA Apr 2013 #153

I generally leave them alone notadmblnd Apr 2013 #154

i'm an advocate for spider relocation.. frylock Apr 2013 #156

Is the fear of spiders and snakes a learned response encouraged by sexist stereotype? Ligyron Apr 2013 #157

It would be me that was squashed 4_TN_TITANS Apr 2013 #161

No squashing in this house Tree-Hugger Apr 2013 #164

The Incredible Shrinking Man 1957 movie irisblue Apr 2013 #165

spiders OregonProg Apr 2013 #170

Any1 else feel em crawling on your body while reading this thread? n/t Inkfreak Apr 2013 #173

Yeah, and mine are face-sized. n/t winter is coming Apr 2013 #177

I've been bitten Sgent Apr 2013 #178

I have to admit, I am really weird in that I practice a capture and release method Dragonfli Apr 2013 #180

I capture and release too. Mister Ed Apr 2013 #181

IMO you are teaching your child that life is not cheap and all life has value Dragonfli Apr 2013 #187

I agree, and I act in accordance with that belief. slackmaster Apr 2013 #183

My favorite spider remedy... Comrade_McKenzie Apr 2013 #184

Let your kitties handle the situation. Laffy Kat Apr 2013 #186

A couple of points lordsummerisle Apr 2013 #189

Right now there is a teeny tiny itty bitty spider living under my soap dish on the sink... Beaverhausen Apr 2013 #190

The only ones I kill are black widows. The rest, I catch in a jar and put outside. Silver Gaia Apr 2013 #191

I always try to reason with spiders first. TheManInTheMac Apr 2013 #192

I don't kill spiders - they don't bother me at all and they play an important role in the Sheldon Cooper Apr 2013 #193

Sorry, if I find a wolf spider in my house, it's dead. sweetNsassy Apr 2013 #194

You prefer cockroaches? sir pball Apr 2013 #197

Sorry, no convincing here....I hate the things. sweetNsassy Apr 2013 #199

+1000000 Jamastiene Apr 2013 #224

I heart spiders sir pball Apr 2013 #195

We keep a "spider catching apparatus" MoonchildCA Apr 2013 #200

Now that I have this assault gun and thousands of bullets, I'm running out of things to shoot! Sancho Apr 2013 #203

I never kill spiders because they kill other bugs i do not like. hrmjustin Apr 2013 #204

Depends on the spider. Those cute little jumping spiders always Marr Apr 2013 #207

Why are you asking this of us? Shankapotomus Apr 2013 #208

I catch and release outside, unless I find one on me. bluedigger Apr 2013 #209

Timber, you're absolutely right Nitram Apr 2013 #211

We get those big ass wolf spiders in the house occasionally sylvi Apr 2013 #212

I've always hated spiders, but I quit killing them long ago markiv Apr 2013 #214

Nature's environmentally sound The Wizard Apr 2013 #215

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.... pink-o Apr 2013 #216

i only kill ants. especially carpenter ants. technically i vacuum them. pansypoo53219 Apr 2013 #220

There is a strange reason for that, TV! sofa king Apr 2013 #222

I try not to kill them ellie Apr 2013 #223

I hate spiders. They creep me out. cynatnite Apr 2013 #226

I do try to limit creature-cide to those who pose a problem or danger. DirkGently Apr 2013 #227

people are so ignorant veganlush Apr 2013 #228

I do the catch and release thing too! savebigbird Apr 2013 #230

im not that fast veganlush Apr 2013 #233

Spiders have nothing on house centipedes. savebigbird Apr 2013 #229

I love spiders! Skittles Apr 2013 #231

I haven't killed a spider, on purpose, in like, forever... Tikki Apr 2013 #232

Spiders, in this case imaginary ones, are often useful edgineered Apr 2013 #234

Agree! lachea33 Sep 2013 #237

Welcome to DU gopiscrap Sep 2013 #238

I like spiders, I would never kill them, but our cat does :( Celerity Jun 2020 #239