All of this talk of spiders brought up a horrible memory of when I was backpacking in Australia after I graduated from high school.
(Story snipped)
As much as I am willing to co-exist with my spider on my back light, there is a big difference between him and other spiders. Particularly Australian ones! I spent a few days in Sydney a few years ago, and although I feared coming across an Australian-grade spider, the only ones I saw was at a wildlife place - behind glass. Obviously, Sydney is a big city and probably isn't the most desirable habitat for spiders, but that didn't help rationalize the fear of finding a big one in my hotel room, on the train, etc.
If I had an experience like yours, I'd be scarred for life.
__________________ "In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might / Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"
I live in the opposite corner of the city, but I don't mind the spiders. Admittedly, I don't have as many around as you do. But I do allow one to live on my back light because he really does keep the moth and mosquito population in check. The past two years I have had one living there on the light (presumably relatives), and we have learned to coexist. When I unlock the back door I always look up what's going on. During the day, not much, but at night it is sometimes a full-on insect feast.
Here's what he looked like - apparently they're called "wood spiders" around these parts. The photo makes it look scarier and bigger than he was, however. At his peak plumpness, his body was about the size of a jellybean. (not my photo):
NSFW!
I was actually a little sad when he started to get smaller and smaller as the weather got colder in the fall. He lasted surprisingly long, but during a cold snap and snowfall he finally packed it in and his little corpse was sitting on top of the garbage can on the fresh snow.
All of that being said, stay the #### out of my house. Although, on the odd occasion that I find a spider in my house (small ones - never as big as my pal on the light), I always try and get them outside instead of killing them.
I went camping out to Boulton Creek in K Country with the family a couple years ago and for whatever reason, these spiders were everywhere! All over the trees, making huge weblines across the road, climbing down from the trees on webs at night and hanging out on us while we were sitting around the fire. It was HELL! There seemed to be a huge amount of those little white moths around, which I assumed was why there was such a huge spider population, but I could not relax at all. I wanted to roll in the fire every night just to make sure I wasn't bring one into the trailer...
As somebody who has always liked spiders, kept them as pets, and was at one time the largest tarantula breeder in Canada I have never understood the dislike so many have for spiders or what makes people afraid of them. For you arachnophobes on here can you tell me what about spiders you find scary? I am asking for curiosity sake because I honestly don't get it. Spiders to me are amazing creatures, they come in a variety of stunning colours, do amazing architecture with their webs, and control the pest population.
As somebody who has always liked spiders, kept them as pets, and was at one time the largest tarantula breeder in Canada I have never understood the dislike so many have for spiders or what makes people afraid of them. For you arachnophobes on here can you tell me what about spiders you find scary? I am asking for curiosity sake because I honestly don't get it. Spiders to me are amazing creatures, they come in a variety of stunning colours, do amazing architecture with their webs, and control the pest population.
If movies have taught me anything you should have been killed by your pets long ago (possibly after they were mutated due to some toxic waste).
As somebody who has always liked spiders, kept them as pets, and was at one time the largest tarantula breeder in Canada I have never understood the dislike so many have for spiders or what makes people afraid of them. For you arachnophobes on here can you tell me what about spiders you find scary? I am asking for curiosity sake because I honestly don't get it. Spiders to me are amazing creatures, they come in a variety of stunning colours, do amazing architecture with their webs, and control the pest population.
I watched Arachnophobia on TV when I was a kid.... I’m scarred for life.
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Dont get me wrong i find spiders to be very cool just as long as they are not able to touch me. I have the heebee jeebee's just thinking about them. As for the story about the spider hitting your chest, i feel very sorry for you. I probably would have shat my self.
As somebody who has always liked spiders, kept them as pets, and was at one time the largest tarantula breeder in Canada I have never understood the dislike so many have for spiders or what makes people afraid of them. For you arachnophobes on here can you tell me what about spiders you find scary? I am asking for curiosity sake because I honestly don't get it. Spiders to me are amazing creatures, they come in a variety of stunning colours, do amazing architecture with their webs, and control the pest population.
I think it's 2 things:
1) We are evolutionarily programed to avoid bugs and spiders. Some are poisonous.
2) Spiders tend to jump out at people. You end up with a conditioned response where you are naturally startled when you see a spider, which creates a similar emotion to fear.
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As somebody who has always liked spiders, kept them as pets, and was at one time the largest tarantula breeder in Canada I have never understood the dislike so many have for spiders or what makes people afraid of them. For you arachnophobes on here can you tell me what about spiders you find scary? I am asking for curiosity sake because I honestly don't get it. Spiders to me are amazing creatures, they come in a variety of stunning colours, do amazing architecture with their webs, and control the pest population.
You expect me to rationally explain my irrational fear of spiders?
Well, I'll try.
Arachnaphobia (the movie) and my dad telling me when I was a little kid about spiders that burrow in your ear and eat through your brain. Actually I think it was a Twilight Zone episode or something, I wasn't smart/old enough to realize he was talking about fictional spiders (at least I ####ing hope they're fictional).
It has just spitballed from there.
It's weird though. I watched that video of the spiders that hunt in packs and I thought it was cool. I see tarantulas (or whatever) at zoos and stuff and it doesn't give me the creeps at all. I'm not particularly afraid of other bugs, at least no more than the average person. Seen/held a few pet snakes in my day and thought it was insanely cool.
Oh, and talking about how spiders help control other insects means nothing to me. I can put on misquito repellant. AFAIK there is no such thing as spider repellant.
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I think it's 2 things:
1) We are evolutionarily programed to avoid bugs and spiders. Some are poisonous.
2) Spiders tend to jump out at people. You end up with a conditioned response where you are naturally startled when you see a spider, which creates a similar emotion to fear.
It's passed down from mothers who scream hysterically when they see a spider in the bathtub.
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They are extremely important to the balance of nature, as well as being amazing, fascinating little beasties, and to kill them indiscriminately is just soo lame.
Last edited by drhu22; 05-11-2012 at 08:09 PM.
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I'd rather walk into my apartment and find a grizzly bear than a little spider. Irrational? I think not.
__________________
But living an honest life - for that you need the truth. That's the other thing I learned that day, that the truth, however shocking or uncomfortable, leads to liberation and dignity. -Ricky Gervais
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Eight Legged Freaks barely phased me, I thought it was a pretty funny over the top movie. The bathroom scene would sometimes creep up on me though. I was honestly disappointed it wasn't an actually scary spider movie. I'm horrified of spiders yet I will watch Arachnophobia every time it happens to be on TV
