Spiders

[Dr Lobster*]

I don't know many people who like spiders; i'm not as bad as i used to be, but a few years ago, if i suspected a spider was under my bed or in a corner of my room, the whole bedroom would need to be gutted in the middle of the night so i could kill the spider and go to sleep.

Ironically, the bigger spiders don't worry me as much as the medium sized ones.

What i'd like to know is, would you consider yourself arachnophobic?

and what are the attributes which you most dislike about spiders?

for instance, flies and spiders aren't that different, yet i have no fear of these.

Personally, i think it's their erratic unpredictable movement and speed. i don't have any fear of being bitten, which is really very strange.

Does anybody have any insights on this? or do you have a fear of being bitten?

[Pete]

I agree with the moement however I'm the opposite. I hate flies and am absolutely *TERRIFIED* of butterflies. I hate the way they're so thin and flutter. urgh.

[Lorns]

I think spiders are fascinating and have no fear of them.

The complexiity, strength and total perfection of their webs is truly amazing ( did you know , that in the second world war spiders webs were used for crosshairs in the sights for the bombers because of their perfection).

There is breed of spider whose single thread of silk is so strong that if you could get a strand 1mm thick it could hold the weight of a fully grown man ( the U.S military have invested alot of money into researching this).

We once had a Tarantula but we had to give it to a friend because the crickets it was fed would freak me out. I really don't know how they escaped the tank.

[Gavin Scott]

What i'd like to know is, would you consider yourself arachnophobic?

Yes. And you've put a dirty great big picture at the top of this thread - although I anticipated this and yet perversely clicked through.

and what are the attributes which you most dislike about spiders?

Not anything specific, I'm just instinctively freaked out by them.

for instance, flies and spiders aren't that different, yet i have no fear of these.

Lucky you. A giant moth flew in the other night and I ran out of the room. I haven't seen it since and am disquietened about not *knowing* that it has gone.

On a slightly related note; does anyone know if it's true that "Vapona" solid insecticide things have been withdrawn from sale? They were very effective, but deadly to humans, *apparently*.

[Jamez]

Being in Pembrokeshire, and having a house slap bang in the middle of the countryside, the kitchen is FULL of flies! I detest them - they are dirty, land on your arms and bite you and buzz around you!! uggh.

I'm not keen on spiders, and those big brown ones you see in garage/garden shed windowsills terrify me. I can tolerate those skinny daddylonglegs you get in the corners of the celing in the house, and to a degree I can tolerate those brown ones with the cross on their abdomen, but anything 'spidery' and I get freaked out.

Right now I wish there were some big bastard sized spiders in my kitchen to eat all those house and horse flies!!!

[Pete]

Lucky you. A giant moth flew in the other night and I ran out of the room. I haven't seen it since and am disquietened about not *knowing* that it has gone.

I had that problem earlier today witha butterfly. As both parents refused to remvoe it I took the car and drove into town and sat in WHS as it's the coldest shop in town.

Corn Flies are the worst, I've so far seen three in the house. No doubt in about a week or two they'll be turning every surface black

[TVDragon]

Well I'm still a complete girl if they're in my room or down the pathway ready to jump into my eyes -- but I've got a few outside who are on my side against my annual battle against the flying ants.

I'm there with the hot water and flour, and they've drawn a few into their dens/webs for much more painful deaths [which is pleasing].

[DAS]

I'm kind of scared and kind of not. In general, I won't run away from one but if I get close and it makes a sudden movement I WILL, 100%, be the first to run away making the noise of a frightened schoolgirl. It makes for good entertainment when I am told to remove one from the room - I prepare myself with glass, piece of cardboard, opened door and escape route, only to find myself dropping all the apparatus and running away if the spider does something sudden.

[cat]

Lucky you. A giant moth flew in the other night and I ran out of the room. I haven't seen it since and am disquietened about not *knowing* that it has gone..

It will be asleep. They can sleep for a long time if undisturbed.

One flew in not so long ago and I legged it; turned up 4 days later at about 11 at night behind the TV.

The best thing to ward off moths is to burn cedarwood things (incense sticks or those pyramid shaped things). They work quite well, and the moths will not stick around if they get wind of them.

[cat]

find myself dropping all the apparatus and running away if the spider does something sudden.

The best are daddy longlegs, when you get this big piece of newspaper rolled up and prepare to smash it to oblivion whilst it quietly sits there.

You take aim.

And hit the wall right next to it.

This sends Mr Longlegs into a frenzy, mobbing you and flying around the room, causing untold panic and distress.

For the record, I'm not really scared of spiders at all, unless they're huge.

[Square Eyes]

I had that problem earlier today witha butterfly. As both parents refused to remvoe it I took the car and drove into town and sat in WHS as it's the coldest shop in town.

Off topic I know, but WHSmith seem to have fab air conditioning, popped in during my lunch break and could happily have spent the rest of the afternoon in there.

Incidentally, since when did they start selling fags ? I'm expecting a little post office counter, and they're evolving into the Kabin.

Back to the topic, I have a fit around anything that flies and if it touches my face, I die. Moths have been known to turn me into a gibbering wreck.