I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes
@GardenGerty (160949)
United States
November 2, 2008 4:43pm CST
Do you remember that song? It is stuck in my head. I really do not mind either one of them, in its own place. Inside an apartment is not the place, however.Last Tuesday night, I was the only staff for the fourplex. I have eight clients, and these are nice, fairly new apartments. I had taken some of my things out to my car in the parking lot behind the fourplex, and looked up to see one of my clients running full tilt to the activity center. This is my most sedentary client. Her idea of a good day involves sitting on her bed crosslegged for 18 hours, watching television, or doing word finds. She only interrupts herself to eat. Here she came, fast as her legs would carry her, and that meant only one thing, an emergency with her roommate. So I hollered “Are you looking for me?” She came and babbled to me about her roommate, a snake, the kitchen, and used gestures for all the words she was forgetting. Missing words is a problem all of the time, not just when excited. I went to the apartment, and her room mate is gazing intently at a little brown snake. He was skinnier than a pencil and half again as long. The snake was definitely having trouble getting around on the slick lineoleum. Client number two says, in her best, slightly flat affect, “He’s okay, he just wanted to be where it was warm. It is cold outside.” Client one is bouncing around in my way, as I try to catch the snake, she says she is watching because she is scared. Client two says “I just want to watch, to see how she catches it. I had a hard time holding on to the little thing, as he twisted a lot, so I trapped him with the dustpan, scooped him up, and took him over to the heat pump area by the offices. I did not have my camera, so that is too bad.
Would you catch a snake? Even a little one? I am helped by the knowledge that there are only two types of poisonous snakes common in Kansas, and neither are usually in residential environments. I actually like snakes. Hubby wished I had brought it home.
10 people like this
28 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Got the shivers from this one GG. I do not like snakes! I am not bad with spiders though. I can squash a spider if it isn't too big. If it is a big one I catch it and throw it outside. Snakes are yucky.
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I think the reason I do not have too much trouble with snakes is that they do not get on you and crawl around and hide in your clothing. This was just a little thing, too.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I like them to stay outside and eat bugs and other pests.
2 people like this
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I know how you feel. I don't like horses. I have nothing against horses as long as they are on one side of the fence, and I am on the OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
3 Nov 08
as long as they are in somebody else' yard but mine. do u know i have never seen a snake outside. knock on wood!!
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63643)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I, too, like snakes. I found one in my kitchen once.
Well, actually the cats found it. The Doctor was straddling the poor scared thing and the other cats were trying to get a hold of it.
I reached down into the seething mass of cat fur and picked it up. I then carried it in to show the roommate before I took it away from the house so I could safely release it.
It was a little grass snake, about 6-8 inches long and chilled from being on the floor inside the air conditioned house. I hope it lived a good long life, but I rather doubt it.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Same for this little one. I was sure the one client was going to accidentally step on it, or have a heart attack herself. I have had cats that hunted snakes but that was long ago and far away.
2 people like this
@littleone3 (2063)
•
3 Nov 08
I have never heard of that song will have to look that one up.
Spiders and snakes have never bothered me. But my partner can not stand them. Some friends of ours keep a snake, when we go to see them, they will get him out, my partner runs a mile. There are our children happily taking turns holding the snake and my partner is hiding behind the sofa LOL.
As for spiders i don't mind them, but am not too keen on picking them up so my daughter usually gets rid of them as it doesn't bother her at all. If my partner sees a spider he will stamp on it and kill it. I always moan at him for doing it as i think poor spider whatever did it do to you.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
My husband loves all animals and critters. He would not hide. One thing that impressed him on our first date was he spotted a lizard, and instead of running, I got down and tried to find it. LOL. I feel the same way about spiders as you do. I do not want to squish them.
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I would have probably done what you did. I would have used the dust pan to pick it up. I don't mind them, I am not really afraid of them, I think they are kind of cute and kind of cool, but I don't necessarily want to to touch them, or pick them up. Just like spiders, I don't mind them, but I don't want to touch them. I would touch either one if I really had to, but I would prefer not to.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I did touch him, but was afraid I would squeeze him too tight trying to hold onto him. They are muscular little critters.
1 person likes this
@pinkfloyd007 (375)
• India
3 Nov 08
nooo.. i don't like spiders and snakes at all.. i am actually scared of them.
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Spiders do disturb me more than snakes. And things with lots of wiggly feet get to me, too.
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
3 Nov 08
I don't like spiders or snakes either. I don;t mind seeing snake in an aquarium or whatever it is called. AS long as they are contained in somethign they cannot harm me. My brother used to won snakes and did a lot to take good care of them. © ronaldinu 2008
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
They really feel rather silky, and nice. If I owned one, I would have to take good care of it, and keep the cats away.
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
5 Nov 08
I just tend not to like to kill anything. I am not of any religious persuasion that sees souls in all things, but I do believe that life has purpose, and I am sure that little snaky would like to grow up to eat lots of bugs or maybe mice. I also feel like if I killed him it would be another mess to clean up.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (93898)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I don't like spiders and snakes, and that ain't what it takes to love me... Jim Stafford, right? I've seen him quite a few times in Branson, Missouri. You are a better woman than I, because I have no fondness for snakes. Although I would have tried to catch it if I had been in your position. Ick!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Hubby says you are right. I would have brushed a spider away, unless it was large, then I would have tried to carry it outside. The thing is, if you are the responsible person, you do what you have too. If I had waited for someone else to come take care of it I would have been waiting a long, long time.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
2 Nov 08
Spiders used to bother me...Snakes are neat....I am glad that you were there to help them with the snake..It is a good thing you aren't afraid otherwise you would have had to call in the Army....LOL
Louden Wayneright III sings it....not sure on the spelling of his name..
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I often end up being the staff that is there when there is an emergency. I think they save them for me. Like the blocked toilets, the mice, cleaning the oven, and that sort of thing.
2 people like this
@bfarrier1 (2082)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I remember that song I liked it.I dont care for Spider or snakes though,sounds like your clients had some excitment.My husband catches snakes I lock him out of the house when he does
I keep telling him one day he is going to get ahold of a bad one.you have a great night.
I keep telling him one day he is going to get ahold of a bad one.you have a great night.2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I think most of the bad ones around here are in more remote areas. That is funny of you to lock him out.
1 person likes this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
4 Nov 08
I remember that song...actually as soon as i read the title of the discussion it popped into my head!
We just have garter snakes here so you just reach down and grab them. I used to catch them and play with them with my dog when i was little. Mom says usually Rejess would catch them and i would play with them...occasionally bringing them into the house in a box of toys where...they would usually end up in the toilet trying to find a way out. It was quite a scare a few times for my dad who would find them in the middle of the night.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
4 Nov 08
Oh, that is funny. I asked hubby how he would feel about that. He said he would really wonder how he got in the toilet, then get him out if he was still alive.
1 person likes this
@savypat (20216)
• United States
3 Nov 08
We love snakes also, we hae a pond in front of our home and each year we have a snake hatch in the rocks along side of the pond. These are garter snakes and very pretty especially the new born ones. They fish the pond for about a month and then it gets busy with human traffic so they move on toward the creek. They do eat a few fish but they also eat hundreds of rodents for which we are very greatfull, Some times we get one we have to catch and relocate, but I don't do it, I'm just not fast enough. When we catch them they smell terrible and it's very hard to get rid of that snake smell.
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
3 Nov 08
I often wonder where people pick up their hysteria about such things as spiders and snakes. It it generally a learned behavior either for a parent, another adult or some other kid. Small children seem to have unending curiosity about animals until someone screams.
I do not like them in my house though, and promptly remove them to the outside where they belong.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Some of it may be parental conditioning, and some of it is societal conditioning. I wonder if the image of the serpent in the Garden of Eden has anything to do with the fear of snakes. You are right. We had someone bring ball pythons and other critters to school when I worked in Head Start. We had pictures of two little four year olds walking holding the snake between them.
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
3 Nov 08
My hubby, relocates them. He is not afraid to pick them up. He knows his snakes. I , on the other hand do not know enough or feel comforatble picking them up. I dont think its good for people to just kill them out of fear, which sadly happens all to often.I do remember that song and its catchy.....now that song is in my head lol
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Sorry I stuck the song in your head. In my part of the world there are technically cottonmouth/copperheads (same family, different snakes) or three types of rattlers that are dangerous. The others are harmless. This snake was definitely not a rattler, and the environment was not right for cottonmouth (water) or copperheads.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
3 Nov 08
When I was a grade school teacher the little boys used to hide interesting things in my grade book from time to time. They would normally put that sort of thing on the teacher's chair, but I hardly ever sat down when teaching kids (and I NEVER sat down when teaching adults).
Once when taking roll call in the morning, I found they had put a cute little garter snake in the logbook. So, I said "Awwww, what a cute little snake!" and took it around for all of the kids to see up close and if any seemed afraid of it, I showed them the proper way to hold a snake and asked them questions about snakes that our science book had answered. I didn't force them to touch the snake but if a student seemed reluctant to do so, I asked why and then got other students to respond to the excuse. The commonest one was "Snakes are slimy!" but of course that is just not true, so after a chorus of "No, they are not!" from the other students, everyone who needed to touch the snake finally touched it and then we went out together and released it in a safe place.
So that was fun for everyone, and the next time it was a frog.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Science lessons, one at a time. It could have gone on a very long time.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I like the song, "I don't like spiders and snakes.," too. It was a cute song.
I think snakes need to live outdoors wherever they live. If I had to catch one, I suppose I would. Usually the poisonous ones up here are in the caves. So as long as you don't see one with unusual looks in a cave, you're usually safe. Rattle snakes and copperheads are the only ones I've heard about, but I've never seen them. Smart little fellow, gotta wonder how he got in. My brothers left our cellar store open when we were kids and a garden snake (garder snake, whatever) was in my Mom's washer, freaked her out! Dark, cavelike and she had left the lid open. REminds me, my lid is open on my washer right now in my bathroom, before a spider, mouse, or something gets in there, I'd better close it. Take care
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I am going to suspect he came in through the plumbing or something. Just like the mice do. I want them all outside if possible. I have not known anyone who got snakes in their washers, but I had an elderly neighbor who got a squirrel in her toilet. He came down the stand pipe in the bathroom and landed in the toilet. Poor thing lost his tail trying to get out.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
3 Nov 08
Oooh I do not mind them outside but I do not like being near them at all and I would not want them in the house. I worry about snakes a bit as we have poisonous ones here and my dog would try and play with it if he found one and could get killed.
As to catching it I would not even try, I would be way to scared. I rely on my partner for things like that. I am much the same with the giant spiders we get. Oh well maybe giant is an exaggeration but I have seen spiders that are as big as my hand and I stay away from them.
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Those spiders would bother me much more than this little snake did.
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
3 Nov 08
what? you were able to do that? amazing hahahahah i would really say you are brave coz i am the opposite? my initial reaction would always have to "kill" that worm/ snake. i am scared of crawling animals....or reptiles...hahaha.. really i am super scared even of little worms...like when i see a rotten fruit and you open it inside and there would be worms in it? yuck i would really be scared of that..! much more to snakes..i cannot even dare to hold it..much more catch it by myself.. i dont really hate them but it just gives me that different feeling though... but i do respect these creatures.. i watch them in natgeo...:)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
3 Nov 08
He was little, I knew he was not poisonous, so even if he bit me, it would have been minor.
@titikcerah (101)
• Indonesia
3 Nov 08
as i know spider and snakes are pretty a animals. i like both :D
1 person likes this
