"Moral dilemma " SPIDERS?

Question

I am a bit of an arachnaphobe -now I know they have there place in the scheme of things but eeuu !
A spider has made her home under a light that we leave on all of the time the light attracts some small insets and she is eating them But I want kill her !
should I leave her or is she going to scare the crap out of my while doing the dishes ?

OMG !! I love the responses I'm getting !
My Husband is working in and out of the crawl space all day every day building us a new bathroom-hence the increase in 'creepy crawlers' !

ceegt---Thanks for the assurance ! lol

Answer 1

First, you could replace the light bulb with a yellow bug-light bulb and it won't attract insects.

If you can catch her with a bug vac, or use a cup and slide a piece of cardboard over the top, and release her somewhere then your moral dilemma is solved.

Answer 2

I thought I'd read some colorful responses and I did see some good ones. Ok, lets look at the pros and cons of killing the spider. I don't like spiders either, however, unless they are in my bedroom where they could walk on me or bite me b/c I roll over on top of them, or unless they weave a web I walk into, I let them live. Most spiders don't bite people unless they are prevoked. Rolling on top of a spider while you are sleeping is, to the spider, an act of agression, and it will defend itself. Most of the insects that bite us at night or throughout the day or night are dust mites and other tiny insects most of us can't see. House spiders kill them off so that they don't bite you. That is the con to killing the spider is that other insects could increase in your house and bite you.
the pros to killing a spider is yuck, it is a spider and it should die. If you decide to kill it, then just kill it and buy a spider sound at the store. These things work wonders on keeping most spiders out of your house. I have only seen like 5 spiders and 4 of them were jumping spiders which cannot hurt us in any way. Whatever you do, don't capture it and put it outside. Most people don't know this, but, once a spider becomes a house spider, it cannot survive outside. I don't know why.

Answer 3

The spider is actually doing you a service by clearing out other insects.

I used to be afraid of them, too. Over time, I started watching them (through the window) weave their webs, catch prey, and so on. They really are cool.

Maybe watch "Charlotte's Web" and you'll feel better about spiders :)

While I don't push my philosohy on other people, since you asked... I think it's wrong to intentionally take the life of anything that isn't threatening you in a real way, or something that you're not going to eat.

And to anyone reading this-- I'm not going to enter any debates about this. The questioner asked for a moral reading-- and that's mine. I respect other people's positions as their own.

Answer 4

Controlling spiders
• As a precautionary measure, become familiar with what poisonous spiders look like and how they act.

• Because spiders nest in quiet, undisturbed areas, discourage them by cleaning and vacuuming closets, cellars and other such areas frequently.

• Seal buildings with caulk, screening and weather stripping to keep spiders from entering.

• Tape or seal boxes, especially in storage areas infested with brown recluse spiders.

• Where possible, wash off outside areas, particularly under roof eaves, with a water hose.

• Mechanically removing the webbing may be necessary because no chemical treatment to dissolve webs is available.

• When chemical control is needed, use products containing diazinon, chlorpyrifos, propoxur, bendiocarb, synergized pyrethrins, carbaryl, resmethrin, tetramethrin, malathion or mixtures of these insecticides. Always follow label directions and use only products labeled for spider control or for use in areas where spiders are found. Spray or dust outside under roof eaves, window ledges and porch and patio roofs. Inside, spray around windows, door facings and baseboards and in attics basements and storage places. Chemical control may not always be as successful as desired because spiders are mobile and may migrate back into the area. Also, species that sit on the web may not pick up much residual pesticide.

Most spiders are small, inconspicuous arthropods which are harmless to humans. Their beneficial role in keeping insect populations in check far outweighs the hazard posed by the few spiders that occasionally bite humans. Very few of the nearly 900 species of spiders in Texas can hurt people. Only two groups--recluse spiders and widow spiders-- are considered poisonous to humans.
Tarantulas, jumping spiders, wolf spiders and some other spiders worry people who mistakenly believe they are seriously poisonous. Although these spiders are often large, hairy and formidable-looking, their bite is typically less harmful than a bee sting. People who are extremely allergic to spider venom, though, react severely to any spider bite.

Many people have a phobia of spiders. However, knowing how to distinguish harmless from dangerous spiders, how to prevent them from entering the home and how to control those that do enter can prevent needless concern and reduce the chances of harm to humans.

Answer 5

I do not like spiders either, but like you, I sometimes struggle with the idea of killing things. However, it does not belong inside the house and whenever there are spiders in the home you are at risk of being bitten. Also, should it be a female spider, you are at risk of being infested. I give you permission to kill the spider. I promise you that God will not be mad at you if you do. LOL

Answer 6

That's right - get rid of those horrible arachnids! Creepy crawly monsters who persistantly infest our living space and - worst of all - chow other INSECTS! - This is beyond belief!! Stamp them out, I say! Spray them with obnoxiously smelling insecticide sprays in cans - polution and depletion of the ozone layer by CFC's is far more acceptable than those yukkie crawlies! If we don't use the insecticides, millions of poor folk will be jobless, starving of hunger - think of their families, the poor kiddies crying with hunger! Nope! This world is too small for both man and spiders! . . .
Please don't cry when the mosquitos and other bugs become pests after you've got rid of the last spider . . .

Answer 7

We had a large orb spider build a web outside of our screen porch last year. They're beautiful creatures, black and yellow, and build an elaborate web with a zig-zag pattern in the middle. Quite striking to look at.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:US_garden_spider.jpg

Every day, the kids and I would go out and look at her, to see what she'd caught, and we watched as she built her egg sac and attached it to the screen. The kids named her 'Sid', and couldn't wait to see the babies hatch.

Then one morning, I went out and found Sid being eaten by a very large Praying Mantis. Very sad.

Moral of the story: if you kill her now, she's just another dead spider. If you get attached to her, you'll end up scouring the yard looking for another spider to 'relocate' so the kids don't get upset.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Well I hate spiders, they scare me also.. if you can stand it though, leave her as she is eating all the other insects that could bother and maybe sting you..
I have always killed them in the past, but now if she is not bothering me I don't bother her...

And think of the old wives tale..
A spider means money.. its a good thing to keep her..
Also if you kill it, its gonna rain...

So I guess if you don't want money, or in a drought, kill her.....lol

Answer 9

I asked my wife to double check this answer-She says kill it because it is immoral to leave them alive; " Her exact response after where is it and why is it still alive was Spiders like snakes both need to die." Should have known that without asking since I am the spider killer. :)

Answer 10

As long as she is getting plenty to eat, she will leave you alone. Why don't you leave her alone, too?
As long as she isn't shiny black with a red hourglass on her tummy or three shades of brown with a banjo shape on her back, she is probably harmless except to other insects.

You could even call her Charlotte and make friends with her.