Creepy Crawlies

[Corrin]

Anyone afraid of insects/arachnids/whatever? Are you not? Do you find them interesting or scary and why?

Inspired by the huge spider that appeared in my bath tub and scared me senseless.

 

[pkmin3033]

Insects and spiders don't really bother me - I spent my youth catching them in whatever container I could find; I've always been interested in them. I don't know insect species as well as I know birds, so whenever I see something I don't know, I want to know what it is. A lot of insects actually look really nice.

Except for one thing, though.

Goddamn. Motherfucking. CRANEFLIES. Whenever I see a cranefly I immediately look for something sufficiently solid so that I can preferably crush it, because I know sooner or later it's going to fly straight into my laptop screen - or worse, my face - and scare the hell out of me. Craneflies just don't seem to have any concept of danger whatsoever, they just fly around the room and if that room happens to contain your face, then that's where they're going. They're the one thing I hate about Autumn, because they come out in droves and suddenly the kitchen is filled with them in the evening and if they make their way into my bedroom I have to spend several minutes making sure they're not going to fly into me whilst I sleep. Craneflies are infuriating and they must die as soon as they violate my personal space. They also emit this godawful buzzing when they get close enough which sets my teeth on edge. They are the one existence I cannot abide - except for a few video game characters and politicians that I won't go into here - and in case you couldn't tell by this paragraph I've been dealing with them for the entire week and I am really starting to lose my patience with it and urgh.

 

[Corrin]

I HATE THOSE THINGS fucking oversized mosquito looking bitches. It's true though, you can find them anywhere.
I'm generally not bothered by bugs but there's a few that I loathe: mosquitoes, dragonflies, house centipedes, roaches. Kill them immediately.

 

[gimmepie]

I live in Australia, so I've learned a level of reasonable caution when dealing with... animals in general lmao. That being said, I'm not particularly bothered by bugs. I won't kill them, they just get chucked back outside where they belong. Seems unfair that something should die for the crime of being inconvenient.

 

[Sheep]

ughhh yes. I used to be terrified of even moths and ladybugs getting in my room, since them flying around and hitting into things/lights made me feel grossed out. nowadays I can handle that particular thing better (and am less paranoid about seeing small centipedes on my ceiling) but still really dislike bugs. especially spiders and bees/wasps :(

 

[Aslan]

Living in Australia means that there are always ????? insects everywhere. I got so used to seeing huntsman spiders that I've grown desensitised to most spiders. I know Australia has some super poisonous spiders (e.g the funnel web spider) but I have never been concerned about an insect I've run into yet so I'm very lucky on that front. Never been scared of moths, ladybugs or a lot of the harmless flying insects that may try to land on you either but the one insect I will not stand for in my room is a giant wasp (has happened multiple times :'(). I'm not scared of insects if they're harmless but find it gross having to handle them or kill them. I can not ever step on a cockroach for the life of me and even spraying it to death is very unpleasant.

 

[Auticorn]

Spiders. Do NOT talk to me about fricken spiders. *shudders* I can't even look at them without wanting to freak out. I also don't like bees/wasps/hornets either, but that's because I'm kind of allergic to them. I don't mind most bugs... it depends on the bug. If it's flying around me or on me, then yes... I'll start freaking out. If it's off somewhere else and not bothering me, I'll often just leave it alone and go about my routine. The only time I really bother them is if they might create problems later. Like, a cricket. Crickets have a tendency to hide and chirp nonstop. It's so annoying. D:

I actually killed a scorpion last night that got in our house. I'll be glad when we move to Maine (not soon enough ugh) because I am SO done with those things. >___>

 

[Zeostar]

Spiders are cute, so are most insects.

If a spider gets too close or if someone else is expressing fear, then I will kill it. I'm not good at identifying them, so I can't tell what's venomous or not.

My favorites are praying mantis. I absolutely love them.

 

[Fairy]

I've for sure written this story before but I'll post it again.

I'm a recovered arachnophobe. My phobia was so crippling and so debilitating that it kept me from doing things I wanted to do. I couldn't walk between two vertical objects for fear of spider webs. I couldn't walk through doorways a spider might have been near, in between cars, around light poles, or narrow decks, anything of that sort. I'd get panic attacks about driving because "what if there's a spider in the car??". I would have my husband pull the car out of the driveway before I felt safe stepping between it and a tree that was about five feet away. I would stand paralyzed with horror at any spider or bug I found because the only thing worse than a bug you can see is a bug you know is there but can't see. I couldn't see certain movies, couldn't do things like go camping or hiking,... it really ruled my life for many, many years. And that's not even mentioning the idea of actually having one on me or god forbid being bitten by one.

Then I tried exposure therapy. It started with education, I learned everything I could about spiders and other creepy bugs. Slowly, my fear transformed into a cautious fascination. I learned the role they play in nature, I learned their behaviors, and slowly began to appreciate the little dudes for what they contribute to the environment. Understanding was my greatest tool for seeing past what was initially a very spooky exterior.

Now? I'm the former owner of a Zebra Jumping spider (rip Brad, he was best boy)! I developed a true passion and love for bugs, especially true spiders and tarantulas! Every time I look at their little faces I can't help but to d'aww and melt a little inside! They're such complex and caring creatures when you really study them and some of the most gorgeous specimens in the animal kingdom to boot! I love those precious guys and I hope everyone who has an intense fear can someday overcome it so they too can realize how important spiders are and what good friends they can be! (´▽`ʃƪ)♡

 

[Corrin]

Update: My sister who apparently knows this stuff says it's a wolf spider. Less scary knowing what it is.

I LOVE tarantulas! I find them cute!

EDIT: I'm so glad the instance of scorpions here is 0. If I saw one I would have a complete breakdown.

 

[Roni]

Reddit has taught me that spiders are bros, so I leave em alone now. Roaches and mosquitoes still carry diseases though, so I still happily stomp/bug spray those.