On Spiders

I am humbled. The only concession I make to their presence is to walk around them, or gently move them out of my way.

I have a natural fear and hate for spiders, but I know they are essential to control insect populations. Plus, it just ain't right to let anything die like that.

Softy

I also suffered from arachnophobia in my youth. One summer I was living in small house in the highland region of Chiapas, Mexico. During that rainy season a kind of large hairless spider comes out at night everywhere. Virtually impossible not to have them in your house. With time I seem to have undergone a kind of satiation therapy. When I returned to the U.S., I felt very little anxiety around spiders. I am now able to distinguish between safe and dangerous spiders, even to the point of letting a tarantula crawl on my hand. Before they were ALL dangerous. Whenever I can, I trea them like the fascinating and ecologically necessary little" "friends" that they are; that further reduces the fear.

I save them and I move them. I save them when they fall into water, I move them when they are in my bedroom.

I used to have one that kept me company in the shower.

I remember that, Roger!

Montana screams and runs away

<Ellpus re-buttons his fly and apologises>

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Sometimes there are tiny little moths in my bathroom shower, and they get caught up in the water spray and stick to the floor or wall. I always try to pick them up and put them somewhere safe but sometimes they don't survive.

Moths are cool. I'd save a moth :-)

I used to be terrified of spiders, well tarantulas, but for some reason I've grown out of it. (Well mostly) I've considered getting one as a pet though, I think it might help with the leftover wariness.

I'm 42 and I don't think there is any chance of me getting over my fear of spiders. I wish there was though.
Nothing like working in my garden, bending over to pick some weeds and coming face to face with a big spider in the middle of a huge web built between two tomato plants.
Just the thought of it gives me the willies!

I caught a tarantula once. It was crossing the road. I scooped it up in a can and kept it for a few months. One day on impulse I took it far away from human habitation and set it free.

You're so sweet Edgar, but tell me you didn't set him free anywhere around here!

Wolf spiders are cool.

No no no!!! They are all scary!

Uh, no.

I used to be exteremly afraid of spiders, to the point of paralysis when I saw one. Can't move because when you move they move....didn't want it to move.

Now, having been forced to either kill it or stand there paralyzed until someone else gets home, I have over come my fear a little. If one was on me, I'd die. And it's still very hard for me to get close enough to smack one. But at least I don't have heart palpitations anymore.