Buddhism & Nature

A forum for beginners and members of other Buddhist traditions to ask questions about Theravāda (The Way of the Elders). Responses require moderator approval before they are visible in order to double-check alignment to Theravāda orthodoxy.
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Still Searching
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Buddhism & Nature

Post by Still Searching »

We all must love, respect & accept man and beast as we for our own.
Sometimes, beast can be a bit of a problem in life, such as flies, mice, rats, moths, bees, wasps etc.

We must not kill a life that is not ours, but what if that life was a danger to ours & our loved ones' ?
Are we entitled to dispose of the creature?
If it is a danger to one's health & environment?

I own an insect catcher so if there's spiders crawling around my apartment, I'd catch it then release it back to it's natural habitat.
I try to use live traps for rats & mice without the poison bait so I can release them back into the wild.

But what about flies? I have trouble with catching them and releasing them.
I try not to hurt them and I have sticky pads on the walls but they don't stick to them and flies have germs, bacteria & similar diseases to rodents.

What are your opinions?
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~ Siddhārtha, Gautama Buddha
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purple planet
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Re: Buddhism & Nature

Post by purple planet »

you can close the lights and open your door and they might leave - because they move towards the light

make sure there is no open source of food for them
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Aloka
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Re: Buddhism & Nature

Post by Aloka »

I find that if I can't catch flies in my insect jar, (putting the jar over them and gently slipping a piece of cardboard under the opening of the jar and releasing outside), then with a little patience, wafting them towards an open door or window usually works.

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djed
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Re: Buddhism & Nature

Post by djed »

What do you do about termites?
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Murkve
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Re: Buddhism & Nature

Post by Murkve »

One can catch flies by using a "Clapping" method. Flies always take off by moving to the side, rather than up, as most predators come at them from above. To exploit this, all you need to do is slide both hands to either side of the fly and quickly ring them together, like a clap. If you do this gently enough, yet still quickly, you will catch the fly either in your palms or soft, fleshy thumb muscle - cushioning the animal for release elsewhere.
[i]"Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal."[/i] - Arthur Schopenhauer
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