Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

a_human_being wrote:

daverupa wrote:

a_human_being wrote:If I can't just sit and watch them multiply, what else can I do than to keep the place as clean as I can and take out and release them someplace?

What is it, after these actions are taken, that yet gives rise to dissatisfaction?

tiltbillings wrote "Just to be clear, if you do not inadvertently kill or damage them by trying to capture them, given their remarkably soft bodies, putting them outside is likely a death sentence."

Hmm, so it is with house spiders, and a number of other insects. In some cases they evolved specifically within the human domicile environment, while others opportunistically don't mind being there. A miniature ecosystem can happen which will balance itself around the nutriment sources - which cleaning constrains (and even though silverfish can survive for long periods without food, a cluster of spiders can pick up the slack; you are leaving house spiders alone I hope...).

So, why is it that "I can't just sit and watch" this natural drama? Are there others in the household who reject this approach?

daverupa wrote: So, why is it that "I can't just sit and watch" this natural drama? Are there others in the household who reject this approach?

1) Yes my fiancee really does not like bugs and silverfish around the house.
2) I think (though I can ask the landlord) it is my responsibility as renter of the apartment to try to keep the apartment free from such insects, or minimize their numbers.

I do not like insects in my house. I do not want to kill any living thing. Therefor, years ago, I went on the internet to find a device that would help me deal with the issue without hurting the insect and without touching it. I currently use 'the insect relocation system', yes, that is its name, and it allows me to deal with the bugs without getting anywhere near their little bodies. I take them outside and find a safe place for them to live that is not in my home. Yes, this is an attitude of 'not in my house' but I cannot live with them and this is a good compromise. Years ago I tried just ignoring them and one of my cats died when she was bitten by a black widow spider. The vet says that happens a lot. Anyway, Amazon has a number of these devices, several different brands, at very reasonable prices. Mine is the long one because, yes, I am scared of some of these insects. There are devices that kill the insect but not the ones that I get. I know that I should change my attitude and welcome everyone and everything into my home, but in the meantime, I rid my house of the insects and find them new homes where I think they may be happy. And I am more peaceful.

corrine

thanks santa100 for this:

santa100 wrote:This site might have some useful info..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_repellent_plants" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and thanks a_human_being for posting this

and thanks Ben and Tilt for your helpful comments.

daverupa wrote:So, why is it that "I can't just sit and watch" this natural drama? Are there others in the household who reject this approach?

I distract my spiders by turning on the TV, they are mesmerised by it and sit quietly...me too!

re: ant

where i used to live, we had carpenter ants that we couldnt keep from coming in the house no matter what we tried. someone eventually told me to try peppermint oil, and it works great. i believe it somehow disrupts their chemical messaging system and they wont go anywhere near it. get some good peppermint essential oil and mix it (very strong mix) with water in a spray bottle, spray around all the cracks in your doors, windows (inside and out), inside your cabinets and anywhere else they get into. you may have to respray once a week or more, but it works and it doesnt harm them.

Thanks marc,
Going to get some today. Got a good feeling about it, too.
Best,
Daniel

marc108 wrote:re: ant

where i used to live, we had carpenter ants that we couldnt keep from coming in the house no matter what we tried. someone eventually told me to try peppermint oil, and it works great. i believe it somehow disrupts their chemical messaging system and they wont go anywhere near it. get some good peppermint essential oil and mix it (very strong mix) with water in a spray bottle, spray around all the cracks in your doors, windows (inside and out), inside your cabinets and anywhere else they get into. you may have to respray once a week or more, but it works and it doesnt harm them.

Hi marc,
How long does it usually take to work? I even went so far as to put an undiluted line around the kitchen counters and stove top but they still appear to be scavenging. They might be acting confused but my sociobiology/natural historian skills are minimal.
Best,
Daniel

I was very glad to see this topic. This is one area that I struggle with finding balance in. I have committed to trying to minimize harming insects that find their ways into my home. I try to capture them and return them outdoors as often as possible. My biggest current problem that I struggle with are flies. I have somehow acquired a big gnat/fruit fly problem, for which I am trying to eliminate any breeding grounds I have in my house. I find the gnats to at times be very annoying, bit they don't concern me terribly so I am generally okay letting them be. House flies, on the other hand, cause me a big problem when they get into my home.

Gnats and most other insects I see as nuisances only as far as I let them bother me. House flies, I see as a genuine threat. I am aware that most of this threat is hyped up in my mind, but my Biology education has made me a bit of a germophobe. This added to an experience as a child in which I saw flies and fly larvae kill and cause great suffering to a puppy makes me unable to cope with house flies in my house and near my and my family and our food. Given the near impossibility of catching and releasing house flies, I struggle with this.

I am new to my study and practice, so I don't have a full picture, but my intention when killing house flies is not to destroy them. I guess I justify this because of my perception of them as a real and present threat to the health and safety of myself and my family. I know that I have an exaggerated view of this threat, but it isn't completely exaggerated as it is a real health threat.

I suppose I am rambling a bit, but I am interested in comments fromthe perspective of this post.

Thank you all!

Be well!

Greetings Libertus,

Have you fly screens installed on your doors and windows?
kind regards,

Ben

Yes I do. Thanks! Gnats are difficult to keep out because if their size. I really don't get house flies inside very often. I'm pretty diligent on the prevention front.

Be well!

~Chris

Yes, I have a similar issue from summer to late autumn with swarms of very tiny flying insects at the cottage in the country where I live during the week. They seem to find their way in the house under doors and the smallest cracks and then swarm around lights. There's nothing I can do except be vigilant with closing doors and curtains. As far as annoyance goes, they're fairly low on the annoyance scale as I've had an incursion of mice into the house, possums living above the ceiling and I always get large huntsman spiders finding their way in the house in the warmer months as well.
You can only do so much and then if the insects continue to invade your living space and dying there - its important to maintain your equanimity.
kind regards,

Ben