[CJW]

I know a moth-er who thinks nothing of sticking his head into an active moth trap (and by active, we’re talking literally hundreds of moths bouncing around in there!) But if you say “ooh look at that spider/harvestman” he’ll run screaming like a little girlie in state of extreme terror.

What makes this even funnier is that no matter how many times I say it, the reaction is always the same. I have to time it right though, because he’s liable to drop everything in his panic and damage my expensive MV bulb. I’ve found the best time to say it is when he’s gently replacing the Perspex baffles, thus avoiding any potential damage. Like all comedy the secret is in the timing.

Are there any other entomologists out there with a completely irrational fear of a totally harmless group of creatures?

[harry eales]

Originally Posted by CJW

I know a moth-er who thinks nothing of sticking his head into an active moth trap (and by active, we’re talking literally hundreds of moths bouncing around in there!) But if you say “ooh look at that spider/harvestman” he’ll run screaming like a little girlie in state of extreme terror.

What makes this even funnier is that no matter how many times I say it, the reaction is always the same. I have to time it right though, because he’s liable to drop everything in his panic and damage my expensive MV bulb. I’ve found the best time to say it is when he’s gently replacing the Perspex baffles, thus avoiding any potential damage. Like all comedy the secret is in the timing.

Are there any other entomologists out there with a completely irrational fear of a totally harmless group of creatures?

Is he a member of Bird Forum Chris?

If so I have something for him


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Styalised spiders. lol.

Harry

[Michael Frankis]

Nice story, but I don't think fear of spiders is entirely irrational, it is partly instinctive in humanity, and based on the reality that some spiders can give a very dangerous (sometimes even fatal) bite. Admittedly not UK (or Manx!) spiders, but instinctive fears evolve over millions of years, and aren't easily lost

Michael

[CJW]

Nope, not having it. It's irrational and girlie.

[helenol]

Chris, I was going to post exactly the same thread last night!

It's irrational and girlie.

Call me what you like, girlie, wuss, poofta, softsh*te, I don't care! Rationality flies out of the window where these things are concerned. Spiders.

I hate the damn things. I can just about cope with a very small one, but unfortunately where we have moved to, there are liable to be some very large spiders indeed. I've already noticed some in the garage.

I am dreading the first meeting with one of those things in the house.

Last year, I was doing some ironing. I placed the pair of jeans on the ironing board, and a second later, this huge mother of all spiders crawled out of the pocket. I nearly fainted. I stood frozen to the spot until my other half arrived home an hour or so later. That has to count as the worst experience I've had with spiders.

I don't mind so much (well, I do) spiders in the garden etc, that's where they belong, not in my house. The other type of spider I run from are those daddy long leg type. (harvestman?) It's the legs that do it.

Do I need therapy...?

[harry eales]

Originally Posted by Michael Frankis

Nice story, but I don't think fear of spiders is entirely irrational, it is partly instinctive in humanity, and based on the reality that some spiders can give a very dangerous (sometimes even fatal) bite. Admittedly not UK (or Manx!) spiders, but instinctive fears evolve over millions of years, and aren't easily lost

Michael

I think atavistic fears are a little overated, I mean, whenever I hear a cat meow, I don't look over my shoulder to see if there's a Sabre-tooth Tiger about looking for her kitten. Some people just have phobias (an unreasoning fear of certain things) It's far more likely they were frightened by tales in their childhood, than have a genetically carried memory of what their ancestors feared thousands of years ago.

Harry.

[The Drinker]

Originally Posted by helenol

The other type of spider I run from are those daddy long leg type. (harvestman?) It's the legs that do it.

Those Opiliones get such a bad press. Though they may be arachnids, they're not technically spiders!! Talk about being tarred with the same brush!!

Can't understand the fear personally.

[helenol]

Can't understand the fear personally.

Given your choice of career, I'm not surprised!

[CJW]

Originally Posted by helenol

Given your choice of career, I'm not surprised!

Oh Helen, Helen, if only you knew......

[Gill Osborne]

It's Crane Flies with me! I KNOW they are totally harmless and I can, and DO, ignore them if I see them bumbling about the garden but bring them into the house and I have to leave the room rather smartish until Neil 'rescues' me!!!
Years ago one of the wardens at the Swallow Pond kind of cured me by throwing every one he found into my face and, eventually, I learnt to just ignore them but now I'm back to disappearing if they come indoors...which is quite often at the moment with this hot muggy weather! I keep a couple of Venus Fly Trap plants on my desk but, so far, they haven't caught any!!!!!
Helen, you DO NOT want to come to ours...we've got the mother of all ginormous House Spiders in the kitchen...she's a little (or enormous rather!) beauty...we regularly see her prowling around the house in the evening...we are so soft in the head that we even leave the doors open a crack so she can wander at will!!!
Perhaps I'm just hoping she'll chase out those horrible crane flies!!!

GILL

[birdman]

Gotta say, I'm a bit circumspect when it comes to creepy crawlies (for circumspect, CJ, read girlie!)

My revulsion ('cos it's not fear) seems to increase with the number of legs.

I am 100% sure this is not an "irrational fear", because, to get slightly serious for a moment, I understand their are those who cannot even look at pictures of spiders without braking into a cold sweat. I'm not quite that bad.

So, four legs and fewer, and I'm fine, six legs, and I start to get a bit bothered (with some exceptions), eight legs and I'm really getting on dodgy ground, and more and whoa... woodlice completely freak me out, and don't even talk to me about centipedes and millipedes!!!

Now, of course, outside of my revulsion is my genuine irrational fear... I was once trapped in an out building by a wasp... but then they are out to get me.