Would you kill a fly?

Question

So as postulated than veg*n can be hypocritical because some of them kill flies and other insects. I personally always try to shoo them out of my house. On occasion there is a fly that tries to bite at me and then all bets are off. In my philosophy is non-violence unless to protect ones being.

Answer 1

I only kill mosquitoes and cockroaches.

Answer 2

I bought a little "bug vacuum" -- it's a kids toy that attaches to a plastic observation container.  It's pretty easy to get the bugs in there and then take them outside.  (Sometimes they won't come out, though, which once resulted in me spending fifteen minutes trying to coax out a spider.)  Never tried it with a fly yet-- might have to shoo it outside if one got in.  I will (very reluctantly) kill insects that won't fit in there, if I think they may be poisonous, parasitic or if my cats could eat them and get sick.

Answer 3

I try not to kill insects with the only exception of mosquitoes who have their stingers in my skin at the time I notice them.  Those I kill.

Answer 4

So that's what vegans do they don't eat meat and they save flies and other bugs that carry disease. OK ,aren't you all special. I would kill any bug that lands on me there nasty. Sorry Vegans. But next time I see one I will think of you guys.

Answer 5

Its hard to kill one actually. So, i usually shoo them off only. Or else spray pesticides on them.

Answer 6

I'm trying to right now. It keeps buzzing around my monitor.

Answer 7

Never. I won't hurt anything. Once, I was walking home on my birthday and a medium-sized dog charged me, barking insanely and trying to bite my ankles. I knew very well that this dog wasn't going to seriously hurt me and that it wasn't actually even trying to bite me (if it were, it wouldn't have been snapping at heels)--it was just trying to get me to go away. I knew this dog. Knowing this, I just kept walking, ignoring it. I refused to hit this dog, like everyone told me I should have. It accidentally grazed my ankle and I had to get rabies shots (it disappeared so we couldn't get it tested), but I do not regret my decision to this day.

Being vegan is an adoption of a lifestyle. If a vegan will not kill an animal for food, clothing, or entertainment, why kill a harmless fly? I would never, never kill anything unless I believed that a human life were in danger OR the animal were suffering beyond all belief (I am a prospective veterinarian).

I will capture deadly snakes and spiders and release them in the woods, as opposed to tainting my home with their blood. It doesn't matter if something is deadly or a pest--if it is not threatening you or your family, why punish it just for being there?

Answer 8

I'm vegan; I would prefer not to kill things if avoidable, but...

You have a responsibility to deal with things that carry disease and threaten your health or that of your family.

Most household pests do just that. If having done your best to keep them out, you find they are still there then sorry but killing them can be the only option.

There's a saying - if you followed a fly for an hour, you wouldn't eat for a week. Flies carry disease; the fly that lands briefly on the food your child is about to eat has probably just been feating on dog sh*t or a dead mouse outside. It'll have regurgitated that onto the food, and stamped it in. Swat it before it gets the chance - you could spend all day trying to persuade a fly outside.

And anything that bites me or tries to is dead.

Being vegan is about minimising your contribution to the suffering and exploitation of animals as far as is possible. Risking your health and even your life, or those of your family, is not required.

Answer 9

when they land in things like tea and coffee i take them out and put them on a window sill to dry, theres a spider in my air con that i wont kill but if i see a fly in it's web i save it.

Answer 10

I don't kill ANYTHING. I try to peacefully move it outside the house. I just can't stand the thought of harming anything that is just trying to survive in this world.

Answer 11

Flies carry disease. Splat.

Answer 12

I kill fleas, mosquitoes or any other parasite.

I never kill flies on purpose. I keep them out and don't leave food laying around.

Answer 13

I agree. No killing things unless they try to kill you first....or something of the sort...like biting, though. I even have a fear of spiders, but I normally just leave the room and have one of my parents get it...my dad tries to save them mom kills them. Well and ants...they seem to be invading...antws outside are okay...but come in my house and invade your taking it to far...

Answer 14

I don't kill flies.

:)

Answer 15

I used to kill bugs but my husband saves them all and runs before me, threatening me not to DARE hurt them.   sighhhhh   So now I don't kill bugs anymore.   I call my saviour.   I feel better about it.   But I do kill black widows.   I saw one today outside under my roof and am tempted to spray it.   But since it is on the far side of my house I am pretending I don't know it is there.   Still not sure what I will do.   I DO kill black widows in my garage.  I spray half a can of Raid on them.

Answer 16

I've been a vegan since birth and I will kill a fly, if it gets inside. They are dirty and carry disease. I try not to harm beneficial insects like spiders, but I will put them back outside.

Answer 17

i always kill flies or any other bug that comes near me there all grose.

Answer 18

I have killed insects before, but I try not to usually. When my family sees me walking through the house trying to balance an insect on a piece of towel or toilet paper to open the front door and let them out, they think I'm nuts.

Flies are usually simple though, just open the window and they fly out.

Answer 19

ya, i always try to sho them. but, since i ride horses, i have to kill horseflys sometimes since they bite really hard. if they arent bothering anything, they are fine and i shoo them.

Answer 20

I'm an environmentalist, a naturalist, a vegetarian, but at work, usually because of safety, I have to make decisions I'm not always happy with, but are in the best interests of my employer.  

It may be hypocritical, but I do win a few victories now and then, like being able to use live traps to catch the mice that sometimes find a way into the offices. As long as I'll release the mice elsewhere and clean the traps.

At home, I catch and release spiders, flies and other creatures that have the misfortune to end up inside.  But I do kill mosquitoes when they land on my arm.  Hypocritical?  Self-preservation?  You decide and judge me if you need to.

Answer 21

I dont try to but sometimes they land on me and I just automatically slap them.

Answer 22

This is actually an interesting question.  We don't kill flies in my house.  My husband is so fast he can catch them with his bare hands.  He catches them and lets them outside.

Answer 23

Slapping a mosquito that's biting me is different than factory farming mosquitoes so that I can kill them for my pleasure.

Usually, I shoo them out of the house, especially spiders.  I will often go through elaborate measures to catch and free spiders.  But if I accidentally walk through a web and kill the spider unintentionally in the process, that's nature.