PETA members/supporters: Is it okay to kill pests like bugs and rodents?!
Thank you in advance.
Answers: Insects and rodents are living things too. Is it okay to kill them? I'm not talking about randomly killing a bug that is outside minding its own business. I'm talking cockroach, termites, rat infestations and other things of that nature. Unlike flies and mosquitoes, these pests are intensely invasive and live in the walls and floors. And if we're not allowed to kill them how do we get rid of them?
Thank you in advance.
I'm not really a PETA supporter, but I'm vegan and think about this sort of thing.
I try to avoid killing bugs and insects that find their way into the apartment. I usually end up scooping them up with a piece of paper and carrying them outside, usually muttering "I hate you. Don't you dare crawl up on me... (I'm not a big fan). I feel that when there is a bug in the house that is not hurting anything, it is hypocritical of me to smoosh it when I have a small garden outside I can put them in.
However, these creepy crawlies are usually things like spiders, which are actually very helpful and beneficial. I think there is an additional element that comes into play when you are looking at pests.
Household pests often come with a risk of disease. The risk to humans and the pets that live with them is what would possibly make it okay to kill them. In the first example, the insect was a singular, not a mass, problem. It was also not a known carrier of disease or poisonous. In the current example, there are a mass of disease carrying animals. If there is not acceptable alternative method (see below), then killing the animals that, by invading your home, have created a serious health risk, could be justified.
There are humane traps for rodents. These are the preferred alternative. However, if you live in a densely populated area, the mice that come into your house are not field mice that you can release into a field nearby to roam free. They are mice adapted to urban living that will return to your housing complex once released and continue to breed, thereby worsening the potential health problem. In this case humane traps are not always an effective solution, nor are they really humane because they allow more pests to breed that will eventually have to be destroyed.
In sum, I believe that veganism, some strains of animal rights, and animal welfare positions would advocate a definition of cruelty free living that includes an accounting of health risks to humans an their animal companions.
You can buy rodent traps or even make the ones which dont harm them. Then you can release them in a nice spot with trees and stuff. Worked for us. But I think its okay to kill bugs.
If it must be done, then do it with a sad face and sorrow. Talk to God about how they harm your health.
well, im kind of on the wall with that one.
i mean, yeshhh they're very annoying, but the whole thing about peta is animal rights and stuff, so i dont know. i guess you could decide if the infestation is worth the slaughter of these otherwise innocent creatures??
i mean, bugs i really dont have a problem with killing, but like rat/mouse infestations, thats kind of mean...
*just my opinion, btw.!!*
Peta screams a lot of words but show me one member that is willing to live with a rats or cockroachs in their homes. They spread Filth, disease and infest an area with hundreds and some times thousands if not taken care of right away. This is why we have o.c.e.a and the dpt of heath to monitor resturants and food markets to make sure these pests do not over run the food and products we eat on a daily basis.
You can trap rodents without hurting them and let them go out in the woods somewhere. It works - we got rid of a pesky groundhog and a couple mice that way.
As to bugs, well, yeah, whether it's right or not, I poison them. They freak me out, especially roaches. Something about the way they move gives me a systemic case of the willies.
NO! its horrible
bugs, they ar living, but killing them is a quik pain
but RODENTS!?!?!? thats another story..........
Keep this in mind: Vegan does not = Buddhist monk. When it comes to vermin, insects, parasites and such then people have to protect themselves and their homes. I don't kill spiders, but I will kill cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, termites etc...
I have had cats so long that I haven't had to worry about mice, I don't have any cats now and I haven't seen any mice yet so I am not sure how I will deal with that, but I'll go with one of the humane options that the other people mentioned.
Side note: My brother used to have a cat that caught mice and brought them into the house, alive. She wouldn't kill them. lol
no it is not okay to kill rodents they are animals. bugs well i kill spiders cause i have a phobia of them and i feel bad afterwards =/
Hmmm. So Rodents are animals and not okay to kill but okay to kill bugs because they are not animals. Hate to tell y'all this but insects are animals just like rats, cows, dogs and parrots.
WHY would it make any difference in which the rodent or bug was killed?
they ar both still living, and are both still equal.
are they not?
No, you should never purposely killing them in my opinion.
You can get humane rodent traps were the rat/mouse goes in to get a piece of food and the door shuts nice and safely. For insects i'm not really sure.