Stop! Six creepy crawlies you don’t want to squash

Squished cluster flies leave stains. Stains that might be nastier than the flies themselves. Vacuum them up instead. (And ideally, seal up cracks and crevices where future flies can get inside the cottage.)

Water striders look scary, but there’s awesomeness underneath that freaky exterior: they can walk on water! Also, they eat mosquito larvae. They deserve a heartfelt thank you, not a disgusted slap.

Hoverflies, a.k.a. flower flies, only look like wasps—it’s a disguise. (Shhh, don’t tell their predators.) They won’t sting you. Plus, they’re decent plant pollinators.

Stink bugs stink when crushed. And the brown marmorated stink bug—an invasive species—can cause an allergic skin reaction if you touch it. Pick it up with a tissue; report sightings to your provincial invasive species council.

You probably don’t ever want to mash a bee with your bare hands. But don’t crush it with a rolled-up newspaper either. We need bees: a single bumblebee can pollinate 6,000 flowers in one day. What did you do in the last 24 hours?

Spiders eat indoor pests such as ants, they don’t spread disease, and they won’t steal your food. Like other phobia-causing creatures (we see you, snakes) leave them be, and they'll make it their business to ignore you.