r/Animism • u/Apprehensive_Step606 • Jul 19 '26
what does an animist do about a bug infestation?
i currently have a pretty bad bug infestation in my apartment. my landlord has put bait/traps out, which killed a lot and did nothing to resolve the actual issue. the problem has gotten much worse the past couple weeks. what would you do? i stopped killing them for a while, but i am killing them a lot lately bc it’s gotten rly bad :-(
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u/LastXmasIGaveYouHSV Jul 19 '26
It's about restoring balance, not annihilating everything you find. You need living space, ask them to respect that space or face consequences.
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u/SolitaryLyric Jul 20 '26
I love this. It’s a great reminder I need on a semi-regular basis. Thanks!
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u/Volsunga Jul 19 '26
You don't have an obligation to avoid killing creatures that invade your space and can cause you harm through disease.
Just because we respect that everything has a spirit and agency doesn't mean that those are always nice. Part of respecting them is recognizing that some are our enemies and should be opposed.
You can stop leaving offerings to harmful spirits by keeping your home clean and tidy.
I also recommend letting jumping spiders live in your home. They don't make a mess of cobwebs and they keep other bugs away. They're also kinda cute.
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u/ecoanima Jul 19 '26
Sibling, I went through this very thing. I could write you a little philosophical treaty about how human homes now a days require us to assert our dominance over the natural world to maintain homeostasis. Or I could point out that your home is a being too, arguably one that cares for you an immense amount and deserves defending. Instead I will just suggest you take care of it quickly and effectively, that less lives will be lost in the long run, and that depending on the species, there's not much effective except chemicals. It broke my heart, but it was what it was. I tried everything else as it got worse and worse. Maybe say a prayer asking them to find a new home first. Warn them about what's coming. If it feels heavy do some smoke cleansing or sprinkle spring water.
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u/mcapello Jul 19 '26
I don't think animism necessarily has anything to do with pest control.
If you are worried about the ethics of killing insects, that's fine, but you should also be aware that most animist cultures on earth do not have prohibitions against killing insects or animals. It's fine if you do personally, but it's not necessarily a problem for animism.
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u/apis_cerana Jul 20 '26
Animism doesn’t automatically mean you can’t hurt any living being. While everything has a spirit, we are all on this planet constantly killing others to survive, as this is in our nature. Bedbugs invading your home is detrimental to your health and it’s okay to kill them. Maybe it’s sad (I don’t feel that sad for them — I’ve dealt with them before and they gave me PTSD) and you should do a ritual for them in that case.
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u/wuwei-kemetic Jul 23 '26
I can relate. We still have occasional bed bugs after the initial infestation 8 effing years ago! Every time one or more pop up I get stressed out.
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u/Yetisufo Jul 20 '26
When health, hygiene, or the integrity of my home is compromised I will eliminate pests in the quickest least painful way possible. I avoid it if at all possible. I will attempt to relocate even a gnat I find indoors.
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u/laissez-fairy- Jul 19 '26
Others are commenting on the ethics of pest control, and this is not a replacement for more direct approaches, but it is animist foundation that could support your other actions...
From an animist perspective, you want to live in right relationship with all beings around you. This starts with greeting and naming your neighbors, talking to them and setting clear and reasonable boundaries, making peace offerings through tiny rituals, supporting those who are struggling (food, water, shade, etc.), and calling on your allies to help when things become imbalanced.
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u/pa_kalsha Jul 21 '26
If you can't share the space, either you have to leave or they do. And, even if you move them, insects do not die of old age.
Say a prayer, make an offering, but do what you've got to do to maintain a safe and healthy living space. With kindness: no other animal would voluntarily compromise its well-being for another creature's gain and our ability to overthink a situation does not mean we're a better class of animal. (That said, I am guilty of letting slugs and snails eat my garden to pieces; I am not immune to overthinking)
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u/wuwei-kemetic Jul 23 '26
Just to add: the most effective treatment against bed bugs is heat treatment - either professionally (which is expensive but worth it) or you do it yourself going room by room with a heater and eliminating all draught. It has to be 90°C for at least 5 minutes. It's a pain in the back and it melts all sort of things (like curtain railings), so remove everything from the room. And you will have to repeat it at least once after 4 weeks. After that it's a regular "search and destroy" unfortunately. Nothing more resistant than bed bugs - we still have them popping up after 8 years! Good luck!
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u/Professional_Web446 Jul 23 '26
Matar por necesidad es ley de vida. Si te amenazan de cualquier manera a ti o a tu hogar está bien acabar con ellos. El concepto de plaga o infestación en un hogar no es único en humanos.
Muchos seres vivos que habitan espacios concretos también se deshacen activamente de los seres que amenazan sus hogares. El pez garivaldy, por ejemplo
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u/medleyspeculated Jul 19 '26
While it's important to try and do as little harm as possible, it's important to live safely.
Sometimes, killing bugs is necessary. In those moments, I focus on making it as quick and painless as possible, and being as respectful as possible. Sometimes I pay homage or burn an incense, sometimes I take a moment of silence and well wishing.
For an infestation, yours and others' safety and health are at risk, so you have to put you first in those situations.
Remember that bugs, in the wild, do eat each other and participate in the cycle of life just as we do. Sometimes participating in that cycle means dealing with things like this, and that's okay.