This is something I've been thinking a lot about recently but I'm still not sure what is right. My rule of thumb has been that I'll kill any bug that is infesting my house or causing a problem to my health. Like I would kill termites or bed bugs if I had those, or like a leech or a tick. But recently I've been getting a lot of flies in my apartment and while they are technically "infesting" the place, they're not doing anything to harm me, just annoy me. Is it wrong to kill them?
Also I would like to say that if I encountered any of these bugs out in nature I would leave them alone and not harm them, this is only in the context of a threat to your sanitation or home
I have a very severe phobia towards certain insects, one of which (large beetles/cockroaches) I panic spray if they're too big for me to maintain my composure and take them outside. The other, worse, one (caterpillars) I simply collapse into a shivering mess of frayed nerves and I humiliate myself by asking someone else to remove them for me, because I can't even manage to think about them without feeling way too uncomfortable to push myself into doing it.
Yes I know I need therapy but I don't have the money for it ATM, and my phobia is way too severe for me to willfully expose myself to them in a controlled manner.
I never ever kill bees or pretty much any other insect, though.
I really feel that, I'm terrified of roaches, they're a kill on sight thing for me. I used to not be able to even look at them and had to get someone else to kill them but now that I live alone I can't do that and I have to do it myself. I feel so fucking unclean whenever see one, even if I take multiple showers afterwards I'll feel dirty for the rest of the day even if I didn't make contact with it. I have reoccurring nightmares about getting attacked by them
Most other insects I leave alone as well. Like moths and spiders and crickets I all leave alone