Spiders

[chocolatemuffin75]

How do you capture them and take them outside when you’re terrified of them and live alone? I’ve just had two enormous ones in my house I screamed, luckily my neighbours always have their back door open they came running out wondering what was wrong, and got them for me.

@FastFood@chocolatemuffin75Yes! It really did work. I was also the sort of person who wouldn’t be able to sleep in the same room if I knew a spider was in there. I still don’t like them but I can tolerate being close to them and remove them with a cup and paper without any drama. The course was really good and they have house spider for you to ‘practise’ catching them. All the safe exposure really worked for me.

@CillianMurphyhasbeautifuleyes😂

Do ya think? 🤔

Honestly what is it with the women of MN and spiders? There’s so many posts from
people absolutely terrified of them that I think I’ll request MN set up a separate Spider category. No other phobia elicits such numerous and frankly over the top posts. And I’m sorry but it really doesn’t do the perception of our sex any favours when all these “strong, independent women” are reduced to a quivering wreck at the sight of a common household bug.

It must be the time of year. We have the most enormous one in residence in an open bedroom window. I leave him to it as I love spiders, but if I didn’t, I’d probably use the glass/paper combo.

Oh get on with you.

A phobia is a phobia is a phobia. Many many people have a phobia of some sort or other. Would a fear of heights be acceptably feminist for you?

Ha Yes that can be an issue. It happened once! I had caught one in the pyramid and was taking it out and when I looked the pyramid was empty! Luckily a few days later I found and caught and removed it - pretty sure it was the same one.

I have become quite skilled at using it over the years. I also think that once its in the pyramid that's it really, job done as long as you are careful but with the bristles arrangement I cant help but think it might be able to wriggle out once caught but maybe I am wrong.

Have you ever had any escape when you have used the bristle device?

I would try and get over your fear.

I went from checking my bed every night in 'spider season', putting conkers on windowsill and if I saw a spider upstairs I would sleep on the couch....to owning and handling a tarantula called Mabel 🤣

I was honestly TERRIFIED of them. It can be done.

Yes I do think

I picked up a plastic carrier bag the other day and found a huge live one inside. I shouted, dropped the bag and for a second contemplated stamping on the bag. In the end I used a broom handle to pick up the bag and chuck it in the garden. The whole thing was captured on the back garden camera including all my grimaces and squeals. 😂

It’s so completely irrational but the fear is very real!

I’m not scared of most things but I just can’t do spiders why is that so wrong to you? We are all different just because you are not scared of them 🤷‍♀️

As someone above said, if you can cope with the leggy skinny cellar spiders, they are brilliant at catching bigger chonkier spiders without looking too alarming themselves, and they are completely harmless to people.

Also remember it's this time of year. Early autumn that male spiders are more likely to come out of hiding and indoors because they're looking for love.
If you want an excuse to get a cat then it's a decent one. Most young cats will enjoy catching spiders and insects, especially if you encourage it when they are young. Dogs too.

It's probably not much consolation for those with a real fear, but those big house spiders are known to be docile and non-aggressive in nature.

Only if it's a very tiny spider! 😂Yes there's no limit to how small I'll try to catch them! With the bristles you'll sometimes see a leg or two sticking out but they can't escape.

Except there aren’t countless posts about fear of heights or fear of confined spaces or any other of a million phobias. What is it about fear of spiders that affects people, especially women, so much?

Heights don't randomly come into my home and run across my ceiling! I've had this phobia since I was small, I've always known it was irrational and I've always tried to get over it. I'm fine with snakes, dogs (even aggressive ones), and most large farm animals. I'm scared of bulls but thats easy, I steer clear of them.

I saw a programme about it once. There were two main theories.

One is some sort of racial or cultural memory dating from the black death in Europe in the middle ages when most of the population died within a generation. Spiders were associated with the black death and this is something that has lingered through the ages. Apparently most people with spider phobias are Europeans or descendants of Europeans. Other peoples around the world are not so afflicted.

The other "theory" if you can call it one is that all primates have a fear of small things that move in a zig zag pattern. Now I haven't got a phobia of mice but when there's a live one in the house I have been known to shout or scream when trying to deal with it shooting all over the place so that stacks up. They have also done experiments with spiders in monkey or chimpanzee spaces (cant remember the specifics) but said monkeys or chimps avoided the spiders rather than messing with them.

The programme concluded by pointing out that they were efficient predators that like to live in dark and secluded spaces and so its not all that surprising that people might have a problem with such creatures.

As to why more women than men I would just think that women are more honest and vocal about it. Men tend to be macho and not want to show weakness especially in front of other men when it might be used against them.

Because you probably won't wake up at 3am on top of a skyscraper unexpectedly? Or accidentally climb inside a small box if you are claustrophobic?

Most fears you can actively avoid if you chose.

Whereas you could wake up with a spider on your face.

They are a phobia that invade your home and appear quite frequently.
I'm sure people that are scared of snakes for example don't have to consider them as much.

Whereas you could wake up with a spider on your face.

@PochaccoPup did you have to ? 😂

Sorry 😅

There's always one! You cannot help what your phobia is...jeez.

Tell me, what's your phobia? Snakes, rats, heights?? We all have one. Maybe we should all tell you to just get over it!