Is it ok to kill spiders?

[Skeleon]

Urgh, they freak me out. Hate it when they touch me, but I also hate getting their innards on me, so I don't like squishing them with tissues. I usually try to catch them in a glass against a flat surface, shove a paper or cardboard under it and kick them out of my apartment. The glass goes straight in the dishwasher afterwards, though.

 

[Hagi]

I'd say it's perfectly fine.

Either you don't attach value to invertebrate life, in which case there's obviously no problem.
Or you do and you're just putting a stop to a spider's indiscriminate slaughter of flying insects, they don't just get stuck in those webs when the spider's hungry you know.

Unless you're one of those racists who cares only about certain invertebrates that is...

 

[Cruickshank]

I should probably add that i live in england where there arent any venomous spiders that might kill you.

Lucky you. i live in Australia where the majority of the spiders (and snakes, and most of the other wildlife) here can probably kill and/or maim you horribly.

is it wrong to kill spiders?
in your case id say kinda, you have no real reason to kill them other than your adverse reaction to them, and if you tried im sure you could spend some extra time scooping them up and moving them elsewhere.
in my case however, i only scoop and move them if they look big and hairy, because thats usually the safe ones to be near. if its a smaller spider with any colour or marking on them its time to break out a new can of bug spray and a match, for a nice double dose of spider death.

 

[stormeris]

I should probably add that i live in england where there arent any venomous spiders that might kill you.

Lucky you. i live in Australia where the majority of the spiders (and snakes, and most of the other wildlife) here can probably kill and/or maim you horribly.

is it wrong to kill spiders?
in your case id say kinda, you have no real reason to kill them other than your adverse reaction to them, and if you tried im sure you could spend some extra time scooping them up and moving them elsewhere.
in my case however, i only scoop and move them if they look big and hairy, because thats usually the safe ones to be near. if its a smaller spider with any colour or marking on them its time to break out a new can of bug spray and a match, for a nice double dose of spider death.

Oh Australia, what would the world do without you? NOT get murdered by tiny critters every day? HAH

 

[Risingblade]

Spiders kill the most annoying creature knows to mankind, flies, as long as they continue to kill flies I will do them no harm. Plus they're kinda cuddly with their little eyes and long legs.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

Once I have seen it in my house - it must die. I can't sleep knowing it's in here, somewhere.

I can only describe it as total and utter repulsion. When I see one of those great big house spiders... that walking, scuttling motion. It honestly makes me want to vomit. I feel physically sick.

There was one on my ceiling the other day and I had to find the biggest, longest item with which to squish it in the fastest way possible. A good stiff broom did the trick. Then whack with a shoe for good measure.

If you put it outside... it WILL come back in you know.

EDIT: For reference I live in England and it's unlikely that any spider here will actually harm me. I do also feel bad when killing any insect but the fear just takes over.

Spoiler: Typical UK house spider

Oh Australia, what would the world do without you? NOT get murdered by tiny critters every day? HAH

That image... evokes a fear in me that I can't explain. I can't even bare to look at the screen! I wish that wasn't a real thing!

 

[ShipofFools]

It's okay to kill spiders, and it's okay for spiders to kill you.

Shhh, go to sleep now...

 

[stormeris]

Oh my dear god.

The mindless hypocrisy in this thread.

No, it's not okay to kill a spider that is no threat to you. Just like it is not okay to kill a puppy.
Just because it is not furry and looks at you with large beady eyes does not mean it is okay to kill it whenever it suits you.

Just because a being is not very likeable by it's looks and smaller than you does not mean you should kill it whenever you please. If we went by that logic, I could justify killing about half of the Escapist Forum. Yeah, suddenly makes a lot less sense, huh?

A spider is just an animal, albeit one that is not very likeable. However, they are useful.
They just sit in the corner of your room all day, chilling, catching everything that buzzes and is otherwise annoying.
Worst thing that could happen is that you eat one in your sleep (Great way to say thanks for the countless flies and other bugs he kept from buzzing around your ear at night), but it's not like you will notice when that happens anyway.

Bottomline: A spider is a living being, no different from a puppy. If you think it is okay to kill spiders, but it's not okay to kill puppies just because they look different, you're a horrible hypocrit and karma will strike back at you one way or the other.

How about we get a little more conscious about what we're doing, people?

Well, i'm all up for killing puppies. Cause those spawns of devil scare me MUCH MORE than the itsy bitsy spiders, hahaha

Seriously, Dogs are fucking scary. It's enough for one to bark in general direction of me and i'll freeze close my eyes and start shivering
Cats>Dogs 24/7

 

[ccggenius12]

I'm a man, and as such my duties around the house include fixing things, and smashing spiders. That's just how this world works.

 

[Soundwave]

I like the concept of spiders. In person maybe not so much, but I won't kill them.

 

[Odbarc]

No mercy for insects and arachnids!
It doesn't have enough sentience to know to keep out of my territory, it dies.

Squirrels are running into my window and disturbing me. I let THEM live. I LET them live.

 

[ScorpionPrince]

As a child, I used to be afraid of spiders. As an adult, I don't quite fear them anymore but will kill all spiders I see.
Any other creature is spared, captured and set free or just left alone.

 

[optimusjamie]

I try to avoid killing spiders. They're pretty cool in my book.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

I have no problem killing bugs. Being annoying is enough justification to a bug. The real question is it worth the effort need to kill an annoy bug if they can't harm you? The answer depends on how annoy it's being.
In other words I think it's ok to kill spiders.
Somethings in this world I don't a highly value as life; bugs and spiders are on that list of life that don't see much value to. bugs outnumber humans on this planet. If I was to kill an annoy bug once in a while; it do nothing from stopping them living long on this planet after every human died.

 

[FireDr@gon]

Short answer; No & if it made you feel bad then you have already answered your own question.

Long answer - It's really wrong to do stuff like this - I'm an arachnophobe too, but im trying to cope with my irrational fear. The fact is spiders have been around for fucking ages, way, way longer than us and they need our respect, not mindless termination. My philosophy is: Don't break it if you can't make it - with the one exception of babies, you can make those but don't break them either.

I always catch them and put them outside now and i feel better for dealing with the problem without murdering and coping with my fear simultaneously.

 

[FireDr@gon]

REAL men keep spiders as pets, they don't smash them.

I have no problem killing bugs; even the ones that can't harm me. Being slightly annoying is enough justification to a bug. The real question is it worth the effort need to kill a annoy bug if they can't harm you? The answer depends on how annoy it is being.
In other words I think it's ok to kill spiders. Somethings in this world I don't a highly value as life; bugs and spiders are on that list of life that don't see much value to.

By your logic i could kill you because i find you annoying. OF course this doesn't count as a death threat because you and people with your shitty attitude are simply not worth the effort. If you even bothered to educate yourself you would realise that "bugs" are a vital part of YOUR existence and without them we would all be dead, you ****ing moron.

 

[WenisPagon]

I don't have a problem with them at all, the spiders around here are small and careful not to web places humans would need to be. We almost had an ant problem but the spiders were instrumental in keeping them under control.

There's a spider that hangs out in the far corner of my desk, and sometimes I talk to it like I would a pet or lightly toss it flies I swatted. :3

 

[Teoes]

I'm not going to be scared by anything that couldn't possibly beat me in a fight. I also love spiders, find them fascinating and live in the UK where we get namby-pamby harmless spiders. No spider will suffer in my presence.

Spoiler: spoiler snip

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?

There's always a spider in your room - you know this, right?

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

I mercilessly kill any spiders I see indoors. I'm an arachnophobe and there's no way I'm letting those things breed in my house or office. Outside, fine, spiders can do their thing. Indoors? No. And since I'm so terrified of them, I can't just capture and release them; they have to be slain from a distance. Sometimes I throw a book at it; sometimes I get the Raid and shoot it down.

Either way, spiders are abominations and I don't want one near me, thanks. Can't wait for winter so they all disappear for a season.

Also, there are so many of the damn things that the few I kill are a drop in the bucket. I am not about to get sentimental over this.

 

[FireDr@gon]

I mercilessly kill any spiders I see indoors. I'm an arachnophobe and there's no way I'm letting those things breed in my house or office. Outside, fine, spiders can do their thing. Indoors? No. And since I'm so terrified of them, I can't just capture and release them; they have to be slain from a distance. Sometimes I throw a book at it; sometimes I get the Raid and shoot it down.

Either way, spiders are abominations and I don't want one near me, thanks. Can't wait for winter so they all disappear for a season.

Also, there are so many of the damn things that the few I kill are a drop in the bucket. I am not about to get sentimental over this.

get over your fear you big wuss and stop being a murderer. You are already halfway there on the idea, just catch them and put them outdoors where you don't mind them!

Also this idea that spiders only right to existence is their "uses" to us is just wrong. They have a right to life because they were around before fish even left the oceans.

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2mmTDT6W7E[/link]