W
WannabeSaint
Guest
I understand he had a great reverence to all animals and insects. What would be his view on killing spiders and other pests in one’s home.?
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M
Mythicalbio
Guest
He killed animals and ate them. I doubt he would care. Unfortunately his behavior doesn’t live up to the name.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
There are other saints that were more kindly towards household “pests”.
My personal rule is that if I don’t have to kill something, I don’t. Unfortunately, pests are often impossible to get rid of otherwise, so it’s understood that part of our living in a fallen world is we have to kill them for our own health and safety.
My personal rule is that if I don’t have to kill something, I don’t. Unfortunately, pests are often impossible to get rid of otherwise, so it’s understood that part of our living in a fallen world is we have to kill them for our own health and safety.
B
BartholomewB
Guest
If you have a problem with insects in your home, it’s helpful to have a spider or two around. They’ll do your killing for you.
Also lizards.
Also lizards.
G
GioG12
Guest
Nice
123455
123455
L
Limoncello4021
Guest
Spiders are our friends. I never kill spiders and they don’t bother me. Flies in the house, however, are another thing. I do try to “shoo” them out, but it doesn’t always work and then they must be dealt with…
M
Major
Guest
I cannot find this picture (I saw it once in the net). It was supposedly from the Buddhist temple:
We inform all insects living on these premises that debugging will take place in five days. Please leave before that time.
We inform all insects living on these premises that debugging will take place in five days. Please leave before that time.
B
Bluebright
Guest
I don’t think anyone is answering your question… . firstly I am not Franciscan so doubt I’d do any better but I doubt St Francis as a saint is disorderly attached to anything. So I’d expect he would avoid killing spiders or any creature except in need whether that be for food or protection or accidentally (I’m pretty sure we all kill spiders by stepping on them or moving their habitat and so kill them by mistake as they are small and we are huge). God provided all created things for us to use to know him, love him and serve him. If we use them for this end but don’t get too attached to them for themselves then this is right use. If we use them excessively or in a way they weren’t intended then that’s not right… I think killing spiders for fun can be included in that. That’s my 2 cents worth in general but I’m happy to be corrected if any Franciscan has a more appropriate thought.
If you just want to keep spiders away… use a plug in device that emits some sort of noise we can’t hear works fine for me. I’m terrified of them and it doesn’t harm them, just politely tells them to find another home.
If you just want to keep spiders away… use a plug in device that emits some sort of noise we can’t hear works fine for me. I’m terrified of them and it doesn’t harm them, just politely tells them to find another home.
P
ProdglArchitect
Guest
I imagine he would be opposed to it if the animal did not present an immediate threat to the person.
That does not impart a moral character on the act of killing an insect or other animal. There is nothing immoral about killing either so long as it is not undertaken cruelly.
That’s true !
@WannabeSaint, I don’t know about st Francis, but I think that all life is God-created and good in se. I try to be as responsible as I can towards my fellow creatures, and that means I’m reluctant to kill a bug or something else just because its being there bothers me, when it’s simply minding its own business and doing exactly what God made it to do - not being, as we are, affected by sin.
That doesn’t mean I don’t resort to killing where health threats are at play. But I avoid it if I can.
Full disclosure: I loathe spiders
1
1ke
Guest
It doesn’t matter what his view was. It matters what the Church teaches.
J
JanR
Guest
As long as wasps and hornets stay outside, I leave them alone. Come inside of my house, they’re history. There’s no safe way that I know of to take a wasp or hornet outside to release it.
J
JanR
Guest
I would add to that – as long as it’s not undertaken wantonly for no justifiable reason. In other words, killing it just to be killing it.WannabeSaint:
I imagine he would be opposed to it if the animal did not present an immediate threat to the person.
That does not impart a moral character on the act of killing an insect or other animal. There is nothing immoral about killing either so long as it is not undertaken cruelly.
M
Mamabrarian
Guest
Hello Friend! Me and you have been pondering on the SAME thing! I have not “studied” up on Saint Francis of Assisi, but about a year ago around his feast day I learned about him with my children. Before learning about Saint Francis I was an AVID bug killer. After learning about Saint Francis I felt I had to examine my approach to killing insects. I prayed to Saint Francis to help me be a more gentle person. I also reflected on the topic. After prayer and reflection I determined that as humans, created in the image and the likeness of God, we are called to respect and care for God’s creation, which includes all creatures. However, we are also to maintain good boundaries with God’s creatures. You can both respect and be gentle with an animal AND keep yourself safe by maintaining good boundaries. Gentle and Respectful, yet Firm in Boundaries.
In my own situation, I had wasps coming into my kitchen. Before coming into contact with Saint Francis I would fling a book across a table at them to kill them. After praying to Saint Francis I took on a much gentler approach. The next time I found a wasp in my kitchen I opened my back door and I actually spoke to the wasp! I said, “Hey there little wasp, the door is over there.” I kid you not, the wasp flew out the door.
Unfortunately I found a wasp nest was in one of the walls in my house and so for the safety of my family I called a professional to come in and spray the nest. So, yes I had the wasps killed but for reasons of safety. When there was just one wasp in the kitchen, there were other methods I could choose to help get the one wasp out.
Sometimes you do have to kill creatures. Even when you kill them it can be done with gentleness and respect. Saint Francis himself is said to have not been a vegetarian, so he too was part of the natural cycle of killing animals for food.
It might seem silly to be so gentle to a horrible wasp. But I have come to realize that being a gentle and respectful person to our “neighbors” is supported when we are gentle and respectful to the least of God’s creation, wasps and spiders included.
Hope this helps! I put a lot of thought into this as I actually wrote an article on this very topic for my blog post.
Feel free to read my article by going to mamabrarian dot com. My article is called “Saint Francis of Assisi and My Wasp Problem.”
My last thoughts: Consider praying to Saint Francis of Assisi for how you should approach the killing of spiders.
Also, I haven’t looked, but I wonder if there might be more to consider on this topic in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It would be great if anyone with knowledge of the Catechism could add to this conversation
In my own situation, I had wasps coming into my kitchen. Before coming into contact with Saint Francis I would fling a book across a table at them to kill them. After praying to Saint Francis I took on a much gentler approach. The next time I found a wasp in my kitchen I opened my back door and I actually spoke to the wasp! I said, “Hey there little wasp, the door is over there.” I kid you not, the wasp flew out the door.
Unfortunately I found a wasp nest was in one of the walls in my house and so for the safety of my family I called a professional to come in and spray the nest. So, yes I had the wasps killed but for reasons of safety. When there was just one wasp in the kitchen, there were other methods I could choose to help get the one wasp out.
Sometimes you do have to kill creatures. Even when you kill them it can be done with gentleness and respect. Saint Francis himself is said to have not been a vegetarian, so he too was part of the natural cycle of killing animals for food.
It might seem silly to be so gentle to a horrible wasp. But I have come to realize that being a gentle and respectful person to our “neighbors” is supported when we are gentle and respectful to the least of God’s creation, wasps and spiders included.
Hope this helps! I put a lot of thought into this as I actually wrote an article on this very topic for my blog post.
Feel free to read my article by going to mamabrarian dot com. My article is called “Saint Francis of Assisi and My Wasp Problem.”
My last thoughts: Consider praying to Saint Francis of Assisi for how you should approach the killing of spiders.
Also, I haven’t looked, but I wonder if there might be more to consider on this topic in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It would be great if anyone with knowledge of the Catechism could add to this conversation
O
otjm
Guest
I went outside my house one day and found a spider bigger than any I had ever seen before… I put my pocket knife along side it and took a picture, so it was about 3" from tip of legs front to back. I left it be as spiders don’t bother me.
Snakes? I will kill on sight. Absolutely no questions asked, and no one will ever change my mind on that.
I also harvest Barbary sheep (ewes), antelope, mule deer, and elk (1 so far), and I eat what I harvest. Never have to worry about hormones in their feed.
Snakes? I will kill on sight. Absolutely no questions asked, and no one will ever change my mind on that.
I also harvest Barbary sheep (ewes), antelope, mule deer, and elk (1 so far), and I eat what I harvest. Never have to worry about hormones in their feed.
J
JanR
Guest
I am wondering, when you opened the door so the one wasp could exit, how many more flew in?]
We live in a log home, and while we’ve tried to caulk off all the little cracks we could find that lead to the outside, as the home settles, more open up and it’s hard to seal off all of them. You’d be surprised what tiny spaces wasps and hornets can fit through.
I’m afraid I don’t have much tolerance for stinging insects inside of our home. We’ve been stung when they’ve gotten into our bedding, our clothing, and on other surfaces where we didn’t see them right away.
Recently, hubby got stung by a huge wasp which was probably a queen, when it got into his shorts. He normally isn’t allergic to the venom, but this time a huge welt swelled up and began to get ugly, and he actually became ill for a few days.
Wasps in the home can be dangerous, even if only one. So my advice to wasps and hornets around here is – stay outside.
We live in a log home, and while we’ve tried to caulk off all the little cracks we could find that lead to the outside, as the home settles, more open up and it’s hard to seal off all of them. You’d be surprised what tiny spaces wasps and hornets can fit through.
I’m afraid I don’t have much tolerance for stinging insects inside of our home. We’ve been stung when they’ve gotten into our bedding, our clothing, and on other surfaces where we didn’t see them right away.
Recently, hubby got stung by a huge wasp which was probably a queen, when it got into his shorts. He normally isn’t allergic to the venom, but this time a huge welt swelled up and began to get ugly, and he actually became ill for a few days.
Wasps in the home can be dangerous, even if only one. So my advice to wasps and hornets around here is – stay outside.
M
Mamabrarian
Guest
Hello JanR!
Sounds like you have a tough wasp situation! I can see why your message to wasps is to “stay outside.”
I agree, wasps can’t be in the house.
The approach I determined for myself, “Being Gentle and Respectful, yet Firm in Boundaries” is going to look different for each individual person and situation.
It is necessary to have firm boundaries with animals to ensure the safety of people. Having firm boundaries can be approached in a respectful way; it can also be approached in an aggressive way.
I believe Saint Francis of Assisi would advice having good and firm boundaries with animals and maintain these boundaries in a respectful way, avoiding being unnecessarily aggressive.
Maybe one person has to spray a wasp. That person can do so respectfully. They can spray out of necessity and simply work at that task or they can make a scene of it while showing anger. In both situations the person is maintaining a firm boundary that wasps can’t be in the house, but one person is being respectful and the other is not.
I believe that God made his creation good. Wasps are great pollinators and great at pest control. They sometimes get confused and enter people’s homes. We can’t have wasps in our homes or on our property, that’s dangerous. We can be respectful and gentle while maintaining that firm boundary.
The story about how Saint Francis of Assisi handled a village wolf problem might apply to this conversation.
Thankfully no more wasps came in my door when I opened it! The thought crossed my mind. I was taking a leap of faith and trying out Saint Francis’ approach to talk to the animals. I felt crazy but the wasp did fly out! I praised God for the tiny miracle! (Of course I would never try talking to a wolf or bear or anything like that! But I wasn’t in danger by trying this out on a wasp.)
I discovered that the wasps were coming into my house from an old cable line hole. They were living in my wall and getting in by pushing through a crack in my wall plate. Only one would get in per day and I would find a wasp in my kitchen trying to find a way out. It kept going towards the light of the windows. But it couldn’t figure out how to leave the kitchen. I turned off all the lights and opened the back door thinking that the light from the back door might help lure the wasp out. Yet, it still struggled. It couldn’t get out of the kitchen. After waiting a bit, that is when I thought of talking to the wasp like Saint Francis. I spoke to the wasp and it then immediately and without effort flew out the kitchen made a left turn and out the back door. It was truly an amazing thing to see!
To approach the wasp problem like this was new for me. Prior to praying to Saint Francis I felt well justified to hurl a book across my kitchen table in an effort to kill the wasp. I made quite the scene of myself! I feel a sense of peace now to gently guide the wasps out when I can. Of course one cannot always expect to be able to do this.
I will pray to Saint Francis that you might be rid of your wasp problem. It would be nice if you didn’t have to worry about wasps in your bedding or clothes any more! I will pray!
Sounds like you have a tough wasp situation! I can see why your message to wasps is to “stay outside.”
I agree, wasps can’t be in the house.
The approach I determined for myself, “Being Gentle and Respectful, yet Firm in Boundaries” is going to look different for each individual person and situation.
It is necessary to have firm boundaries with animals to ensure the safety of people. Having firm boundaries can be approached in a respectful way; it can also be approached in an aggressive way.
I believe Saint Francis of Assisi would advice having good and firm boundaries with animals and maintain these boundaries in a respectful way, avoiding being unnecessarily aggressive.
Maybe one person has to spray a wasp. That person can do so respectfully. They can spray out of necessity and simply work at that task or they can make a scene of it while showing anger. In both situations the person is maintaining a firm boundary that wasps can’t be in the house, but one person is being respectful and the other is not.
I believe that God made his creation good. Wasps are great pollinators and great at pest control. They sometimes get confused and enter people’s homes. We can’t have wasps in our homes or on our property, that’s dangerous. We can be respectful and gentle while maintaining that firm boundary.
The story about how Saint Francis of Assisi handled a village wolf problem might apply to this conversation.
Thankfully no more wasps came in my door when I opened it! The thought crossed my mind. I was taking a leap of faith and trying out Saint Francis’ approach to talk to the animals. I felt crazy but the wasp did fly out! I praised God for the tiny miracle! (Of course I would never try talking to a wolf or bear or anything like that! But I wasn’t in danger by trying this out on a wasp.)
I discovered that the wasps were coming into my house from an old cable line hole. They were living in my wall and getting in by pushing through a crack in my wall plate. Only one would get in per day and I would find a wasp in my kitchen trying to find a way out. It kept going towards the light of the windows. But it couldn’t figure out how to leave the kitchen. I turned off all the lights and opened the back door thinking that the light from the back door might help lure the wasp out. Yet, it still struggled. It couldn’t get out of the kitchen. After waiting a bit, that is when I thought of talking to the wasp like Saint Francis. I spoke to the wasp and it then immediately and without effort flew out the kitchen made a left turn and out the back door. It was truly an amazing thing to see!
To approach the wasp problem like this was new for me. Prior to praying to Saint Francis I felt well justified to hurl a book across my kitchen table in an effort to kill the wasp. I made quite the scene of myself! I feel a sense of peace now to gently guide the wasps out when I can. Of course one cannot always expect to be able to do this.
I will pray to Saint Francis that you might be rid of your wasp problem. It would be nice if you didn’t have to worry about wasps in your bedding or clothes any more! I will pray!
J
JanR
Guest
Thank you. I try to be nice to animals whenever possible. Even the deer that eat my flowers – I spray Liquid Fence in those area that smells and tastes bad to them, but otherwise doesn’t harm them.
I also try to plant things they don’t like to eat, but I won’t be deprived of my favorite flowers just because deer like to eat them.
The LF works pretty well, but I have to remember to reapply it after it rains or after I use the sprinkler, as it washes off.
We don’t have as many wasps this year as in the past, and it may be because the one that stung hubby was a queen, and he killed it. No queen, no nest. We also have a lot more birds this year, and they might be keeping the wasps and hornets in check.
It’s nice when we can let nature be our pest controller.
I also try to plant things they don’t like to eat, but I won’t be deprived of my favorite flowers just because deer like to eat them.
The LF works pretty well, but I have to remember to reapply it after it rains or after I use the sprinkler, as it washes off.
We don’t have as many wasps this year as in the past, and it may be because the one that stung hubby was a queen, and he killed it. No queen, no nest. We also have a lot more birds this year, and they might be keeping the wasps and hornets in check.
It’s nice when we can let nature be our pest controller.
A
AlNg
Guest
Are you OK with bedbugs?
I find it very difficult to be nice to vicious, ferocious killer dogs with sharp teeth ready to pounce and bite you.
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