Is it ok to kill spiders?

[Akytalusia]

i'm surprised to see someone else asking this question. but here's how i look at the situation. if i casually kill spiders, then i've forsaken any right i had to complain if they ever manage to kill me. as long as i maintain this position, then everything's fine.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

As long as they aren't near me, I'm fine with them and I avoid killing them. They're a lot less annoying then flies.

<spoiler=Buzzing Bastards>http://i.imgur.com/vhHD7mx.png
Assholes, landing on my hand and making me miss my finely aimed sniper shot. Fuckers will one day get what's coming to them.

 

[Jynthor]

I have a tarantula and generally put spiders outside when I see them in the house(before dear ma crushes them)
You shouldn't kill them, they are your friendly neighbourhood spiders.

Actually one spider has been living in my bathroom for a month, won't come out of the corner and it's too much trouble to reach.

 

[Idlemessiah]

I don't like spiders. They have too many legs and they move weird.

However I am terrified to the balls of moths. God I hate moths. My cats are too fat and lazy to catch them too. Recently I've stopped killing spiders and oddly enough I haven't seen a live moth in the house all summer. Or any flies / wasps / daddy long-legs for that matter.

 

[Serinanth]

Depends on my mood and my exact location.

Shower: Death by drain.
Bedroom, noticed while trying to get to sleep.. wait, why isint that dust mote...!! : Death by anything I can find.
Bedroom, while up and about: Banishment to the outside.
Kitchen: Banishment to the outside.
Living room: Banishment to the outside
Basement: Leave them be.
In my grill I mean like a gas grill not my face: Death by fire.
In my grill: Death by flailing about.
In my truck while parked: Banishment to the outside.
In my truck while driving: I lost it when I crashed into that broadside of that barn.
Inside my kayak, while cleaning it: Death by Raid and hose.
Inside my kayak, while out touring: Probably eaten by fish after I dump the boat.

When I have my camera: Pose for me lil guy!

 

[AlbertoDeSanta]

As an Australian, it's regular to see Spiders. Generally, I only kill them if I'm not a pussy about it and if they're outside what I deem their 'natural habitat' (EG: Anywhere inside my house, outside is fine). There's about 4 just chilling in their webs in my backyard; I've never seen them move, and they are nowhere near me to harm me, the closest I get is about a metre to them. However, their was a spider in my bathroom not long ago, it was hiding in the top of the window, and would occasionally move and frighten the fuck out of me. It was rather small (by general belief of Australian Spiders), but even so, I killed it. It's more about WHERE it is and the potential for harm; if I'm taking a shit, I'm easy prey, if I'm walking about doing stuff, I'm not as easy prey. Plus, the bathroom spider was in MY territory, I wasn't in it's. It's death was just and deserved and I've no regrets.

 

[Vivi22]

he had no concept that i will inevitably use the toilet role, and encroach on his territory. He was an innocent, caught in the crossfire.

If he was by your toilet roll then he was encroaching on your territory.

No mercy for foreign invaders.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

Stomping on something that can't hurt you in the slightest really aggravates me, you may not like them, but stomping on them because they are "icky" is a terrible excuse.

I always let them out if they are in my way, otherwise I let them keep doing what they are doing, they are not hurting anyone, just trying to get by.

My sis screamed to the top of her lungs when a daddy long legs was next to her and she asked me to get rid of it, seriously, I get being scared, but calm down, the spider isn't going to rape you.

The venomous ones however, you are in direct danger if they see you as a threat, so kill them if you find no other way to avoid them.

I am also one of the few people that find the beady eyes and little legs of spider cute.

EDIT: They also kill flies, flies are way more fucking annoying than spiders can ever be, at least spiders don't try to piss you off every second they live.

Do you have any phobias? It's no joke and it's not something that gets a measured response.

A spider came down on the passenger window of my sisters car while she was driving and, under pure instinct, I yelped and jerked away almost forcing my sister off the road. Luckily we were driving slowly. The spider got squished. I'm sorry it was either him or me and my sister and potentially some random passerby.

I have a severe phobia of spiders which has also blessed/cursed me with superhuman sensitivity to there presence. I see the critters long before anyone else does. I have paranoia induced habits such as scanning the corners and crevices of a room as I enter. The first thing I do when entering a new locations is, completely unconsciously, is do a quick glance at the intersections of the walls with the floor and ceiling (since spiders love those areas to navigate).

Now, I'm not on some blood thirsty hunt to wipe them out. They are fine if they stay in corners I never visit... but if they are on the floor in my way or in my room before I go to sleep then they have to go. On that I can't bring myself to come close to them. The closer they get to bare flesh or my face the worse this aversion is.

Catching them between a cup and a sheet or coaster is not an option for me. Most are too fast and I freak out when they move. The slower ones are usually too large and I can't even be in the same room as them and have to get someone else to deal with them.

With all that said... I prefer not to kill them. I'm fascinated with them. I consume huge amounts of media related to spiders. I am fixated on my fear. But it falls on practicality and my own well being. I need to sleep and use the bathroom, if a spider is causing me enough stress as to prevent either of those it must go and the gentle nature lover side of me is superseded by need to piss &/ shit or the need for sleep.

I already suffer from relatively severe anxiety related issues and spiders can and do affect this, sometimes even causing panic attacks if I'm already in a particularly poor state.

It's not a black and white moral decision for some. It's also quite humiliating being a full grown adult and shrieking when seeing a tiny thumb nailed sized spider landing on your shoulder. But I have to live with this, as do many phobia sufferers, as all forms of phobia therapies have failed me (and that hands on shit made me FAR worse).

 

[BarbaricGoose]

I always try to save them. I don't like killing.

Pretty much this. I think as I've grown I've learned to appreciate life more, and I think everything deserves a fair shot at it. There are some exceptions, though. Black widows being one of them.

I don't really have a strong opinion on it. Although some spiders in the house can actually be good.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

If only spiders were cute . Buuuuuut they aren't so.. KILL IT WITH FIRE!

OT: i like how people are afraid of small , almost harmless insects but Giant animal that can kill us we want to pet and play with .

Yeah, i loved that episode.
I think the spiders problem is that it always look threatening. You never see them rolled over like a cat resting, Theyre always ready to attack, in pretty much any direction

Spoiler: Some spiders don't look too scary.

Like this one.

Spoiler: And this one.

Spoiler: And this one.

Spoiler: And of course none are cuter than this one.

xD Oops...

Anyway to answer your topic question. Killing the spiders you find in your home will likely barely put a dent in their numbers. You shouldn't feel too bad about it.

And if that isn't enough for your conscience, well you could catch them and let them go outside if you want.

SMUSH THEM! KILL ALL THE SPIDERS! KILL THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN.

Actually I usually put them outside. No I SCREAM for my boyfriend or someone to come get rid of it.
I know they have their uses but the freak me the fuck out. I won't sleep if there's a spider in the room and I've been known to wake up screaming because I think it's on me *shudders*

Oh, there was a spider in my living room a few weeks ago, I threw my FOUR cats at it and none of them gave a fuck so mum had to get the duster and we were screaming and running around like headless chickens because it was crawling towards us which was funny to see two grown women do.

A little thing like that can make a woman scream louder than a man ever has, u mad?

Not mad at all.
Also,

Spoiler: Spiders are such lovely mothers.

xD Don't you agree?
I mean, they give their kids piggy back rides.

And find them nice places to sleep.

Like in your bed.............................................Okay, maybe I went to far...

 

[Sofus]

Bugs... I will leave them alone so long as they stay out of my house and out of my way, but if one of them gets into my car or house then I will hunt it down and kill it.

I have a mild case of arachnophobia by the way.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

Not killing spiders is wrong.

 

[Angelous Wang]

Depends on my mood and location.

A spider (or any insect) is far more likely to die if it comes into my room (my territory, marked with my sperm, everywhere), but if I pass on in the hall or something I will let it be normally.

If I am asked to remove a spider by someone else because they are afraid I am more likely to pick the spider up (maybe bully/terrorise the person with the spider a bit depending on who they are) and then let it go elsewhere.

However if I am in a bad mood, everything dies, everything.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Depends on the spider. Some of the ones that are poisonous enough to harm us, the brown recluse and black widow as examples, I do kill if I happen to run across them in my home, because the can harm or kill me. I hate brown recluses especially because they tend to hang out in my shoes, and I had some evil Drill Sergeants that would intentionally put them in our boots to make sure we checked them before dressing.
Also on the same note, I do kill scorpions without mercy. I severely dislike those things and will kill any and all I come across. I guess I'm species-ist against them. No I don't have a reason, they just bother me.

 

[Lil_Rimmy]

I live in Australia. That means thermonuclear warfare on all spiders. In Australia, going to the dunny without bringing the flamethrower is a death wish. If you don't hunt down that little bastard and his family, his widow will return with a tide of spiders, and you will have to use your B.O.B (Bombing of Baddies) bag and leave the house. If you allow the tide to escape the house before the B.O.B bag goes off, then the rest of the neighbourhood will have to be quarantined and scorched. Believe me, scorched earth tactics are the only way to take out the above ground spiders. But the burrowing ones? That's when you send in the Spider-Pyscos. These insane military soldiers go down the burrows and use their finger to wrestle with the spiders. 3 out of 10 of them die every time they try this, but eventually, all of the burrowing ones are squished, and the neighbourhood can be rebuilt.

OT:
I squish them.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

I don't like killing them either, though sometimes it's necessary. I do not feel safe knowing there is a red back climbing around my room while I'm sleeping in bed. I tolerate pholcid spiders, despite their ugly appearance, though. At least they serve a purpose (keeping out other spiders and insects), but red backs and shit like that? Nah, I suck 'em up the vacuum. I do indeed feel guilty about it though. They have shitty lives as it is, let alone being cut short.

But alas.

 

[-Dragmire-]

They spread too fast! Bullshit, they keep to themselves! I can just imagine the amount of cobwebs people have to deal with when they don't kill them. I used to be fine with a couple around but at this point it's almost an infestation. I kill them on sight now.

Depends on the spider. Some of the ones that are poisonous enough to harm us, the brown recluse and black widow as examples, I do kill if I happen to run across them in my home, because the can harm or kill me. I hate brown recluses especially because they tend to hang out in my shoes, and I had some evil Drill Sergeants that would intentionally put them in our boots to make sure we checked them before dressing.
Also on the same note, I do kill scorpions without mercy. I severely dislike those things and will kill any and all I come across. I guess I'm species-ist against them. No I don't have a reason, they just bother me.

Many creatures in life scare me, but scorpions are high on that list. I do not consider them to be creatures that know mercy or will receive mercy from me(if I haven't run my ass away yet). The only people I know that would be merciful to a scorpion are nature enthusiasts.

 

[Wintermute_v1legacy]

I don't mind if you kill them, but I leave them alone. They are most certainly dead when I find them in the shower, that's an exception. Also, have you ever found 2 frogs chilling in your toilet when you had to take a dump? Yeah. Those frogs lost whatever "frog rights" they had right there.

I do kick snails whenever I see them, though. I don't know if they die from that, I don't think they do, since they're all there the next day. I guess I'll spray paint some of them so I'll know if they're the same snails coming back every day for their daily dose of kicking.

 

[Something Amyss]

I don't like to kill things if I don't have to. That being said, I'm not above a mild freak out if one's next to my face, say, like "here I am!"

I don't kill spiders, I talk to them.

Do they talk back?