Arachnophobia anyone? - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

Tonya · 11-17-2006, 10:43 AM

For the spiderphobic people, tell all about your encounters with spiders. And yes, the thread is even for the spider lovers as well.

Now, little spiders don't freak me out, but the REALLY BIG ones!.....

I remember one time there was a huge spider in the house that covered the hinge of the door, which covered nearly 5 inches!

Medikor · 11-17-2006, 12:38 PM

I'm not afraid of spiders but the BIG ones unnerve me.

My dad has started to grow a fear of spiders in his old age. I remember a few summers ago whene I was helping to paint the house, there was this spider looking right at my dad and my dad yelled "How many people did you eat?!". He had to have me clear away all the spiders just so we could get close to the house.

pitbulllady · 11-17-2006, 02:45 PM

I am, of course, absolutely UNafraid of spiders; in fact, I love the darn things, the bigger and hairier, the better! So many tarantulas out there, and so little money in my bank account!

I used to be one of those silly people who was afraid of spiders, not really phobic, but they used to give me the heebie-jeebies. Then, I grew some additional brain cells and realized how hypocritical it was of me to fear spiders out of the same reason so many people fear snakes, ignorance, when I had spent much of my life, as a child and an adult, trying to educate people that snakes were not the slimy, nasty, evil, mean, and by-default deadly creatures that most people believed them to be. I began to educate myself about spiders and to dispel my own needless fears. When a kindergarten teacher offered to give me her son's Chilean Rosehaired tarantula, which he'd left at home with his none-too-happy mom when he got married, I accepted it, as a way of defeating my fear face-to-fang, so to speak. That one spider turned out to be something of a "gateway drug", since I have now expanded my tarantula collection(and this does not include "true" spiders that I keep, as well)has grown to close to 50 animals! Since taking up the additional hobby of macro digital photography, my interest in spiders has really picked up, since being able to photograph them and see them in details not visable with the naked eye has really shown me how fascinating they are. Their colors and patterns never cease to amaze me, and their behavior can be just as remarkable as that of "complex" animals. Quite honestly, right now, I'd happily trade every single dog I have(well, maybe not two of them)for additional tarantula species, since the spiders are so much less trouble to care for.

pitbulllady

Medikor · 11-17-2006, 02:55 PM

Just watch out for contaminated foodstuffs that you give you're spiders, Pitbullady or Eight Legged Freaks could start all over again.

Sparky · 11-17-2006, 04:36 PM

I have no negative experiences/encounters with spiders - well I mean, none involving me being afraid or whatever. I have experiences witnessing people who horribly tortured/killed spiders for no good reason, or even asked ME to do it FOR them! Those are negative, but too sad to tell I think. I guess I have nothing for this thread.

Howard · 11-18-2006, 09:14 AM

I live in AZ - "Black Widows, Brown Widows, Scorpions, and Recluse - OH MY!"

pitbulllady · 11-18-2006, 01:43 PM

I would absolutely LOVE to go to Arizona to collect spiders and scorpions, especially since you have some really nice tarantula species there, including one of my favorites, the "Flagstaff Orange", Aphonopelma chalcodes.

pitbulllady

Sparky · 11-18-2006, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitbulllady

I would absolutely LOVE to go to Arizona to collect spiders and scorpions, especially since you have some really nice tarantula species there, including one of my favorites, the "Flagstaff Orange", Aphonopelma chalcodes.

pitbulllady

Even though I'm not at this time planning to get another T, if I found a female Flagstaff Orange I'd snatch it up! COOLEST LEGS EVER.

lucyrocks73 · 11-18-2006, 03:17 PM

I'm not afraid of spiders...

Really, I'm not...

I mean, I don't have any pet spiders, but that doesn't mean I hate them.

I'm indifferent to them... I think they are cool. I'm not obsessed; I just think they are cool.

Snakes can freak me out occasionally, only when I know it's a species that could potentially hurt me...

I have no issue with mice, either...

Stuff like that doesn't freak me out.

There are so many girls at school who go wild if they see so much as a fire ant near them, and that bugs me (no pun intended). Hey, they don't hurt me.

Which is why I always take the spider outside instead of squishing it when I find one in the house. It just wanted to explore a bit; no reason to end an innocent life.

I feel like a total nerd... In a good way.
-Marty

One Radical Dude · 11-18-2006, 03:19 PM

I think they're great to look at, though I'm not very fond of the ones that carry the venom. Had a friend over the summer that got bitten by a black widow. When he went to the hospital, they said he didn't need any medication, and the he wasn't going to die. I guess he had a dry bite or something, but he did swell up pretty big.

11-17-2006, 10:43 AM	#1
Tonya Queen of the Spammed I'm just ahead of the current. Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: In the group circle of That 70's Show Posts: 445	Arachnophobia anyone? For the spiderphobic people, tell all about your encounters with spiders. And yes, the thread is even for the spider lovers as well. Now, little spiders don't freak me out, but the REALLY BIG ones!..... I remember one time there was a huge spider in the house that covered the hinge of the door, which covered nearly 5 inches! __________________ My babies -- (well he is number 1, dang it!). He's cool, I mean c'moooooooooooooooon? We ammigo! The every kid. Best female cartoon ever. There should be more of these ladies. Don't underestimate the power of wuv.

11-17-2006, 12:38 PM	#2
Medikor Robot Master I'm a bubble man! Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 1,428	I'm not afraid of spiders but the BIG ones unnerve me. My dad has started to grow a fear of spiders in his old age. I remember a few summers ago whene I was helping to paint the house, there was this spider looking right at my dad and my dad yelled "How many people did you eat?!". He had to have me clear away all the spiders just so we could get close to the house. __________________

11-17-2006, 02:55 PM	#4
Medikor Robot Master I'm a bubble man! Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 1,428	Just watch out for contaminated foodstuffs that you give you're spiders, Pitbullady or Eight Legged Freaks could start all over again. __________________

11-17-2006, 04:36 PM	#5
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,715	I have no negative experiences/encounters with spiders - well I mean, none involving me being afraid or whatever. I have experiences witnessing people who horribly tortured/killed spiders for no good reason, or even asked ME to do it FOR them! Those are negative, but too sad to tell I think. I guess I have nothing for this thread. __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More

11-18-2006, 03:17 PM	#9
lucyrocks73 Razzamatazztic Tap Dancer There are ways to make punks like you sing. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!! Posts: 551	I'm not afraid of spiders... Really, I'm not... I mean, I don't have any pet spiders, but that doesn't mean I hate them. I'm indifferent to them... I think they are cool. I'm not obsessed; I just think they are cool. Snakes can freak me out occasionally, only when I know it's a species that could potentially hurt me... I have no issue with mice, either... Stuff like that doesn't freak me out. There are so many girls at school who go wild if they see so much as a fire ant near them, and that bugs me (no pun intended). Hey, they don't hurt me. Which is why I always take the spider outside instead of squishing it when I find one in the house. It just wanted to explore a bit; no reason to end an innocent life. I feel like a total nerd... In a good way. -Marty __________________

11-17-2006, 02:45 PM	#3
pitbulllady Co-Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,276	I am, of course, absolutely UNafraid of spiders; in fact, I love the darn things, the bigger and hairier, the better! So many tarantulas out there, and so little money in my bank account! I used to be one of those silly people who was afraid of spiders, not really phobic, but they used to give me the heebie-jeebies. Then, I grew some additional brain cells and realized how hypocritical it was of me to fear spiders out of the same reason so many people fear snakes, ignorance, when I had spent much of my life, as a child and an adult, trying to educate people that snakes were not the slimy, nasty, evil, mean, and by-default deadly creatures that most people believed them to be. I began to educate myself about spiders and to dispel my own needless fears. When a kindergarten teacher offered to give me her son's Chilean Rosehaired tarantula, which he'd left at home with his none-too-happy mom when he got married, I accepted it, as a way of defeating my fear face-to-fang, so to speak. That one spider turned out to be something of a "gateway drug", since I have now expanded my tarantula collection(and this does not include "true" spiders that I keep, as well)has grown to close to 50 animals! Since taking up the additional hobby of macro digital photography, my interest in spiders has really picked up, since being able to photograph them and see them in details not visable with the naked eye has really shown me how fascinating they are. Their colors and patterns never cease to amaze me, and their behavior can be just as remarkable as that of "complex" animals. Quite honestly, right now, I'd happily trade every single dog I have(well, maybe not two of them)for additional tarantula species, since the spiders are so much less trouble to care for. pitbulllady

11-18-2006, 09:14 AM	#6
Howard Desert Rat Only the best! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: AZ desert Posts: 1,358	I live in AZ - "Black Widows, Brown Widows, Scorpions, and Recluse - OH MY!"

11-18-2006, 01:43 PM	#7
pitbulllady Co-Administrator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 2,276	I would absolutely LOVE to go to Arizona to collect spiders and scorpions, especially since you have some really nice tarantula species there, including one of my favorites, the "Flagstaff Orange", Aphonopelma chalcodes. pitbulllady

11-18-2006, 03:19 PM	#10
One Radical Dude Big Insensitive Jerkface Still Awesome Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seattle, WA, USA Posts: 2,738	I think they're great to look at, though I'm not very fond of the ones that carry the venom. Had a friend over the summer that got bitten by a black widow. When he went to the hospital, they said he didn't need any medication, and the he wasn't going to die. I guess he had a dry bite or something, but he did swell up pretty big. __________________ Visit these pages: Facebook, Twitter, Google+