Take the 2-minute tour ×  Are you allowed to kill flies and
other pests (mice, mosquitoes, etc.) or would that go under the
prohibition of Tzar Balay Chaim?  share|improve this question
How does a dead fly feel pain? –  YDK Jun 23 '10 at 23:30 Later
partial duplicate: mi.yodeya.com/questions/5530/is-it-ok-to-
kill-bugs –  msh210 Jan 26 '11 at 17:16  2 Answers 2  up vote 4
down vote accepted  Reb Moshe in Iggras Moshe (חושן משפט חלק ב'
סימן מ''ז) says if it is disgusting and or the creature ruins
food,or mosquitoes who bother the person the answer is YES. Reb
Moshe in an Illustration of his Tzidkus (righteousness) adds of
course you should try not do it by hand instead with fly traps
and the like because killing by hand desensitizes you and ruins
your character. He brings the Ohr Hachaim Hakodsh (דברים י"ג
י"ח) who says that even the person who kills for the Beis Din
and a Shochet needs a special protection against this provided
by the Torah because he is directly involved in doing a Mitzvah
but here where he i