Why are we so afraid of spiders?
@sprite1950 (30452)
Corsham, England
February 5, 2020 1:48am CST
I understand that some spiders can be poisonous and I don't mean those but the type we get in the UK are harmless ... and yet some people are terrified of them even if they are tiny
I always thought that our phobias were passed on through people close to us but my granddaughter is afraid of them even though I am not. I am always being called to remove one from the bath and they are nearly always tiny. I don't kill them, I just scoop them up and put them out of the window.
Are you afraid of harmless spiders? What is it you don't like about them?
28 people like this
27 responses
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
I catch them in a container and then put them out as Teagan will not even go in the bathroom if there is one there.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
@LadyDuck Pete gets them in his hand and puts them out, even the big ones.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471459)
• Switzerland
6 Feb 20
@sprite1950 My husband does not touch them, he calls me.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Feb 20
Technically speaking, spiders are venomous, not poisonous. Plants are poisonous! And also technically speaking, all spiders are venomous, just most don't harm humans or their venom is negligible. Now that I'm done educating you, I'll get off my soap box so I can tell you that I actually like spiders! They eat other bugs, especially roaches! And I'd rather deal with spiders in my house than roaches!
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
Haha, thanks for that! We do get the occasional venomous spider brought in with bananas to our supermarkets but I have no idea what they do with them. I will even pick them up if they aren't too big. Pete hates hurting any living creature and if he sees one on the pavement he will put it somewhere safe!
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
@moffittjc I don't worry too much about walking on spiders if they are in my path. I wouldn't bother to pick them up. I think he has a good heart. Animals are really drawn to him.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Feb 20
@sprite1950 I’m not quite as loving of all living creatures as Pete, but I do try to leave living things alone and let them get on with their lives.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
We don't get any dangerous loose wild animals here and those that we do have do not show themselves often to humans.
1 person likes this
@May2k8 (18364)
• Indonesia
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950 When our area was still in the forest we often met wild animals, but since there is no more forest now we don't see any of them roaming around.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
@May2k8 What sort of animals did you see in the forest?
1 person likes this
@besweet (9859)
• Ireland
8 Feb 20
I am afraid of all spiders, even the smallest ones. I don't know where it comes from my parents don't have any phobias like that. I just feel anxious and my stomach becomes tight when I see spiders, even if they are in the TV.. I don't know how to explain it.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
8 Feb 20
Wow that really is a phobia if you don't like to look at them on the TV.
2 people like this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
9 Feb 20
@besweet I am like that with heights although it really is a phobia and I cannot be too far off the ground without getting panicky.
2 people like this
@besweet (9859)
• Ireland
9 Feb 20
@sprite1950 I think it's something like a phobia. I don't think I will get panic attack like other people with phobias might have but I will feel very uncomfortable!
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
13 Feb 20
Actually he has a point. Have you ever seen the fangs on a spider if you look at a picture close up. They do look quite scary.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
17 Feb 20
@Lushlala I'm more scared of stinging insects like wasps. Whe Lee was a baby in the pram I was crossing a road on a zebra crossing when a wasp chased me. I ran off and left my baby in the middle of the crossing I was so scared!
1 person likes this
@Lushlala (4028)
• Gaborone, Botswana
17 Feb 20
@sprite1950 OMG gangs?!? No, I can't say I've ever seen them! that would creep the hell out of me. No wonder people hate them LOL!!
No, I can't say I've ever seen them! that would creep the hell out of me. No wonder people hate them LOL!!1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
I had one hanging on a thread by my bed while I was sleeping once!
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950 ohhhh, that gives me the creeps!! I would have to move my bed
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
Yes and there are quite a lot of them. For me it depends on how big they are but I am ok with most of them.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
@RebeccasFarm We don't get poisonous ones here unless they come over in banana crates. That happens occasionally.
@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950 Yes the size does say a lot for me..but here there are so many poisonous ones it scares the life out of me
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
10 Feb 20
We used to do that with ants until I got bitten by one!
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
10 Feb 20
@sol_cee When I was little I made my younger sister sit on an ant's nest! She got really stung. What a mean sister I was but we laugh about it now.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
10 Feb 20
@sprite1950 I'm more afraid of ants, esp. red ants than spiders!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
5 Feb 20
I’m petrified of all spiders. I can’t identify which are poisonous or not.
It all began when I was 8 years old and got bitten by one. I was sitting on a rock wall in my yard with a friend, and we watched it crawl up my leg to my thigh. It suddenly bit me and drew blood. That was it for me!
At least it wasn’t poisonous.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
JJ says that all spiders bite but I pick them up and have never been bitten.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
@DianneN I'm not sure about snakes as I haven't had much to do with them.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950 All the more power to you!
I feel the same way about snakes!
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
Mine seem to come up the plughole and end up in the bath.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (77081)
• Germany
6 Feb 20
@sprite1950 I see. Maybe it has a home in the plughole.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
3 Mar 20
I don't like touching them with my bare hands but I will scoop them up in a cup and put them out of the window.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
4 Mar 20
@nela13 My partner picks them up and moves them out of the way if he sees one on the ground so he doesn't step on them
@amitkokiladitya (171927)
• Agra, India
5 Feb 20
Yes ..I'm afraid of every insect and animal
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
I don't like stinging insects like wasps. I'm afraid of them.
1 person likes this
@amitkokiladitya (171927)
• Agra, India
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950 I'm afraid of all be it any
1 person likes this
@StyleWithSense (1954)
•
10 Feb 20
I don't know if it's a cultural thing, but most southeast asian cultures welcomes spiders in the household I mean, they aren't something that kids here are afraid of. In fact, some games here in the Philippines include spider fighting where spiders are let to fight on skewer. Thanks for your post.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
10 Feb 20
@StyleWithSense Yes I was reading about it and couldn't believe it was a sport. I wouldn't like to watch it though.
1 person likes this
@StyleWithSense (1954)
•
10 Feb 20
@sprite1950 Haha! It's still played up until this day and yes, people here do bet on it with large numbers It's like bull fighting but with spiders lol though i don't tolerate such sport cos it's not ethical but yeah, it's a cultural thing...
It's like bull fighting but with spiders lol though i don't tolerate such sport cos it's not ethical but yeah, it's a cultural thing...1 person likes this
@KityCat (7736)
• India
8 Mar 20
I have not problem with spiders around has long as it bites me and I become Spiderman
But that is a bit too much of a fantasy come true
I really do not like them at all. But my brother (he is only 8)really likes playing with the small ones,he has been never bitten but he does to listen not to us how hard we tell him not to toy with them
But that is a bit too much of a fantasy come true
I really do not like them at all. But my brother (he is only 8)really likes playing with the small ones,he has been never bitten but he does to listen not to us how hard we tell him not to toy with them1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
8 Mar 20
We don't seem to have spiders that bite in the UK or if we do I've never been bitten and don't know anyone who has.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
8 Mar 20
@KityCat The only spiders that are dangerous are those that come from other countries in our fresh produce. We have had them in bananas before.
1 person likes this
@KityCat (7736)
• India
8 Mar 20
@sprite1950 that is good that you have no dangerous ones there
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180853)
• United States
5 Feb 20
Some of the spiders in this area are poisonious so I have a right to be afraid of them. The small ones with thin legs don't bother me. They are harmless enough.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
I would be frightened of a poisonous spider. We just don't get them here thankfully.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
What even a small one as in my picture?
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
9 Mar 20
Yes people tend to forget they eat bugs and especially flies which spread germs.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
I pick them up if they are small enough. If they have very long legs I scoop them up in a cup and put them out of the window.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (130218)
• Israel
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950
I do not think I am afraid of spiders. I knew someone that had a tarantula and the person fried him.
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
6 Feb 20
Oh that sounds a little gross. I know some people keep them as pets.
1 person likes this
@resukill22 (25050)
• Las Pinas City, Philippines
5 Feb 20
I'm not afraid of spider
1 person likes this
@sprite1950 (30452)
• Corsham, England
5 Feb 20
You are brave like me! Most people are afraid of them,
1 person likes this
@resukill22 (25050)
• Las Pinas City, Philippines
5 Feb 20
@sprite1950 yes your right, I don't know why? Other people afraid of spider
1 person likes this
