Why are we scared of spiders?

Originally posted by JayinAR
reply to post by Kellter

 

1) The brown recluse doesn't hang webs. Considering she was bitten on the back of the neck this is unlikely.
2) If you are bitten by a brown recluse and you are allergic to them, ignoring the bite will grant you a trip to the ER, guaranteed.


But, as an aside, most people aren't even allergic to recluse bites.

Edit - Before it is said... Allergic is a bad word. More like, If you don't have the natural antibodies to the toxin.

My guess, depending on the region, would be hobo spider. We have them around here(oregon). Big, hairy, uygly, HUGE fangs and they make webs.

[edit on 23-8-2009 by JayinAR]

I just recently got over this fear myself.

First, after feeling guilty for killing a bee that did nothing to me and increasingly having empathy for things I killed, I promised a nearby tree (Mother Nature) that I would never kill another thing unless I was being threatened......except spiders.

Then, after proudly telling how I'd turned over a new leaf to my sister, she told me the following.

1. Spiders are more afraid of you than you are of them
2. Spiders, like any creature, are not bloodthirsty and murderous.
3. Once you put something under them, like a piece of paper, and lift it up, they will immediately freeze. Then you can just take them outside.

Anyway, since having an intention of being peaceful with them, I am not scared of them anymore, because neither of us feel threatened.

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic


I thought hobo spiders were just another name for the brown recluse. The symptoms nixie described weren't consistent with a brown recluse bite, the venom eats your skin away and is an open ulcer, it's doesn't just scab over. Also, I don't think the bite itself is as painful as nixie described. It sounds more like a wasp sting. Or maybe a bark scorpion given the nature of the job being done clearing brush, the pain is consistent, but the swelling isn't. Unless of course the sting site got infected like Jay said, which is a possibility.

[edit on 23-8-2009 by 27jd]

Ha... not even lying.. I had a dream about some giant spider that was going around killing people Then I wake up, check ATS and see this thread!

I guess that's why I am afraid of them, I fear that somehow my dreams can come true!

And on a side note, dreaming of spider= warning that my body knows that there's a spider on me while I am asleep??
Ha, you never know..

[edit on 23-8-2009 by toast317]

It's either hereditary or a learned fear. My husband and his father are worse than little girls screaming their heads off when a spider comes by. And these are tough guys in everything else. Needless to say, I have to kill any spider that creeps into the house, otherwise I'll never hear the end of it. Oh yeah, he's now trained the youngest (toddler girl) to kill spiders too, just in case I'm not around. FWIW, no one in my immediate family is afraid of spiders and neither am I.

Originally posted by Reddupo
Anyway, since having an intention of being peaceful with them, I am not scared of them anymore, because neither of us feel threatened.

If I find one that's difficult to catch I always say 'Don't frighten me and I won't hurt you'

(It's only if they take a flying leap at me that I'm likely to panic an inadvertently squish them).

They seem to pick up that I am trying to be helpful and they stay calm. I find that little speech works with other small creatures too.

I had to share the shower with about six spiders the other day - most of them were on the ceiling (too high for me to reach) but one was walking up the walls. I was more worried about drowning them than feeling afraid - I've come along way since I got over my phobia.

I think the reason why we are scared is becasue we know that alot are poisonous. Also its very heard to tell different spiders apart so you dont know witch ones are poisonous or not.

Originally posted by KRISKALI777
reply to post by Yossarian

 

When I was young I was s__t scared of spiders.
They do not worry me anymore though; I realised they are an irrational phobia. Infact, they are probably more scared of us.
I have since found they are quite tasty also; tarantulas that is!





Dude....no way. I am going to lose sleep tonight over this ahahahah

I am 57 yo, and my biggest fear is spiders. I have arachnophobia.

When I was 4 or 5 yo, we had a lake cabin in west TX (literally a cabin, my dad built it) and I remember one day a tarantula was walking down the drive way, it was like 100 feet from me, and it was coming right at me, and I was screaming and yelling, and my mother told me to shut up, she didn't believe me. The tarantula continued towards me and came within 3 feet of me until my mother finally came outside cause I was crying and yelling so much, and saw the tarantula and Wisk it away with a broom. Meanwhile, I was scared to death. It was a traumatic experience for me at such a young age.

This incident is what I blame my arachnophobia on, don't know if it that is what caused it or not. It was definitely a scary situation for a very young boy.

Meanwhile, I have grown up with arachnophobia and am still scared of spiders. I can not stand to even look at them.

I found a product that works well, kills them instantly & is not toxic to humans, called "Miracle Soap II" ( I have absolutely no affiliation with this company besides their product works exceptionally well), I put a ounce of it in a spray bottle and fill it with H2O and spray spiders and it kills them instantly. I keep a spray bottle in the kitchen (it also cleans better than anything I have ever used), home office, bedroom and bathroom.

It’s scary when I think of the extremeness I go to just to make sure spiders are not in my life.

About a year ago, at my dad's house, I was sitting in his living room on their couch and all of a sudden, there was a brown recluse about a foot from me. I totally freaked out. I managed to kill it, but I will not go in their living room ever again. Also, around the same period, in their office, where I am typing this post right now, there was a scorpion on the floor about a foot from where I am now, I could not believe it. I killed it. I worry cause I have a 10lb dog and those spiders could kill my dog by merely stinging her.

Living with arachnophobia is such fun!

I'm not scared of small spiders or daddy long leg spiders....

Just the ones I know will bite, or am unsure will bite....for those spiders, I run screaming like a little girl

intresting topic, i remember hearing about why this is previously.

ill simplify it , as im feeling quite fragile today.

basicly, we all learn from our parents, what they are scared of We are usualy scared of, as we have subconciously learned this by seeing our parents reactions when we were tiny and never thought twice. So If a baby see's its mum or dad react irrationaly to a spider , its most likely that fear will be handed down, i believe it was one of the human natures that kept us alive back before we had civilisation.

so ....... back in the caves, someone, one of the earliest decendents of man most likely got bit and displayed reactions/fears and the like to their children and whoever else was about at the time, that was millions of years ago ..the fear spread like a virus, more apparent in the next generation of humans... and has never stopped!

Spiders can be creepy, however the psychology may be deeper. Our ancient ancestors were confronted with giant killing spiders (not like the one on Gilligan's Island). Also there are large though non-fanged 'spiritual' spiders (basketball sized) just out of our visual range. Put this together and you have a built in fear. It took me a while to get over it. Now I pick them up in a soda cup and take them outside or just leave them be.

reply to post by 27jd

One suggestion for anybody reading this who doesn't want spiders, or any visible bug in the house. GET A CAT.

I got 2 cats- and I still have things scurrying across the floors at night! My male cat had no idea what to do with the first (and I hope, only) mouse my girl cat decided to kill. He stood there in front of it and looked at me as if to say 'you got me what to do with it. YOU deal with it.". This is the same 2 who stare in fascination at whatever manages to sneak in. They rarely do anything about what they see- just stare.

I seriously expect to wake up in the middle of the night and find both cats, a couple mice, and some other creepy crawlies sitting around playing poker, thinking I am still asleep.

reply to post by wylekat




Yeah, i guess i should have specified, get a BENGAL cat. They're hybrids, house cats bred with asian leopard cats, kinda like ocelots. THey still have a strong killing instinct from their wild half. I agree there are some house cats that are as scared as humans of creepy crawlies, lol.

edit: double post

[edit on 23-8-2009 by 27jd]

I'm not afraid of spiders, only what might happen , when bitten by one, they crawl around where I live, sleep.
I Try to never kill them, as I try not to kill any bugs.
I'm going on one of those Vipassana Meditation, that is one of the requirements, that you do not kill bugs you may encounter.

If I lived where, was problem with Spiders, I would probabily get bug , bugs that eat Spiders, like Praying Mantis, I've never had problem with them.

Originally posted by Maddogkull
I think the reason why we are scared is becasue we know that alot are poisonous. Also its very heard to tell different spiders apart so you dont know witch ones are poisonous or not.

All spiders are poisonous, Is said the Gran Daddy Long Leggs has very potent venom, but their mandbles? bittie things are to small to break thru human skin.

reply to post by googolplex


I've heard the same, but there isn't much conclusive evidence of that when i looked into it further. I believe you're right about all being poisonous, but most have no affect on humans.

I read that you are never more than 3 feet away from a spider hiding somewhere. Whether it be walking on the floor and a spider is underneath the house or those that hang around in the corners of the rooms in the ceiling. or when you bring in your flowers from outside, there always seems to be one lurking in the leaves of the plant. And...when you turn the chairs up for cleaning .....there they are!!
My grand children took after their Dad, ( the little boy who fed the spider) they want to capture everything and keep it. I'm afraid they are going to get seriously bit by something.
Four weeks ago.. all 3 of them were outside playing with a green grass snake, that was in the yard. fortunately this snake did not take them as a threat and casually slithered on his way after I got through screaming my lungs out for them to get away before you get bit.!!!! Kids ages..10, 7 and 5.
Also on the spider thing again....there is an estimated count of 11,000 spiders to an acre of woodland in the East.

reply to post by KRISKALI777
it's too bad westerners will never the accept the idea of creepy crawlies being snack foods eh?