# Fear of spiders



## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

I am petrified of the 8 legged creatures and would like some advice, if any, on how I can get over this.

The reason is I woke up when I was 4 with one on my face and ever since then they really, REALLY freak me out, to the point of if one is in the room and it hides, my OH has to tear the room apart to find it and then put it outside. 

I'd like to be able to be in a house, on my own, and deal with it if one walks in. 

I also have horses, so his stable can be an issue when there's cobwebs in the corners!


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## MissBethM (Aug 25, 2010)

I had a similar experience when I was younger...woke up with a huge spider on the wall right in front of my face. I shot out of bed and wouldn't go back to my room till the offending spider was removed and put outside!!

I have been terrified ever since. I know it's an irrational fear but doesn't feel irrational when I spot one in the house, I freeze with terror (yes it sounds rather pathetic) x


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## new westie owner (Apr 30, 2010)

Bobby ate 1 this morning left legs for me to clean up


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## Lulu's owner (May 1, 2009)

I've been scared of them for most of my life but becoming a keen gardener has helped because you come across so many that eventually you just become used to them, though it's actually taken me many years so that's maybe not the most practical solution.

Have you come across those little vacuum cleaner type tubes for humanely catching spiders? Lakeland sell them and I guess someone with a mild phobia could bring themselves to use one but not if it's a really bad fear.


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## MissBethM (Aug 25, 2010)

I probably should invest in one of those vacuum's! If it can be done, I will try and capture the spider and release the little critter unharmed, usually in a glass! I don't like killing things, it's not their fault I'm terrified of them


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

Im not keen on ones that run across any part of me! There is a cute stripey fat bottomed one that has strung its web across where my bins are. I keep going out and getting a faceful of web and spider!!
Although the local pet shop has a mega cute tarantula in at the mo.


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

MissBethM said:


> I probably should invest in one of those vacuum's! If it can be done, I will try and capture the spider and release the little critter unharmed, usually in a glass! I don't like killing things, it's not their fault I'm terrified of them


I can't get near them in a glass. I'm petrified.

If one is in a room, and I can see it, I can't rest until its moved/gotten rid of.


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

I've got the Same phobia...I used to own horses I used to get a long handled Brush Swipe the Cobwebs in the Stable And ........RUN for my Life...Stable life X a Spider phobia do not go well 

I've also got a phobia of Daddylonglegs To me thay ARE Flying Spiders that can get you Quicker.


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

I keep tarantulas. Anyone wishing to have a one2one session on arachnophobia is more then welcome 

Just let me know when, and I'll tell you if I'm free


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

Aww, fluffy! I am so getting a Tarantula one day.
But I still have no urge to pick it up or have it crawl over me, Id be more then happy just to watch it.


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

Hey hun i can't help you. I was diagnosed with Arachnophobia at a very young age! If i ever come across one i either: 1. Freeze, sweat, shake and cry. 2. Scream, freeze and have irregular breathing for a long time after! Or all of them 

That and others i was diagnosed as phobic :frown: i seem to add different fears all the time though. I just hope they never make full on phobias


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

ARRGGGGHHHHHH Just Seen that pic of the Trantula....

Even that gave me Goosebumps I've gone really cold now.

Happened to me this morning feeding my Guinea pigs A Big Cobweb in the corner of the hutch I got a Trowel to get it out...Nearest thing to hand....

A massive Spider ran out. ARRGGHHHH Why are they getting BIGGER?..

I had to come in grab a coffee/Cigarette and Calm down I'll be scared to go back to the bloody hutch now  Hope it did'nt follow me into the house


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## harrys_mum (Aug 18, 2010)

im the same, i was scared when young by my sisters and couldnt even stay in the room with a spider. 
i have to have someone come and remove fromthe room if there is one.
as long as i dont see one im ok.
michelle xx


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

Can't even Bare to open that link....ARRGGHHHHHHHH Sorry I never Could get to love them...They scare the hell out of me


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

Aargh, I'm terrified too! It's really frustrating because I'm an otherwise very rational person!

I once had to go knocking on all my neighbours' doors (neighbours I didn't know!) to find someone who was in to help me, because I'd turned the kitchen tap on hard, then looked down and seen a MASSIVE spider squatting in the sink (and I mean M A S S I V E) - I jumped right back involuntarily, and just couldn't get back to the tap to turn it off, I really couldn't. It was awful - sweating, shaking and crying at the patheticness of it all, while the water shot out... (the spider was so bloody big it didn't budge)

I eventually found a neighbour who was in, and he brought his 4 year-old daughter round to get the spider out for me so I could turn the tap off. HUMILIATION.

The image of that spider - huge bloated brown body and enormous legs all crooked, stretched over the whole of the bowl of the sink still makes my heart thump, and it was about a decade ago!


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

Horse and Hound said:


> I am petrified of the 8 legged creatures and would like some advice, if any, on how I can get over this.
> 
> The reason is I woke up when I was 4 with one on my face and ever since then they really, REALLY freak me out, to the point of if one is in the room and it hides, my OH has to tear the room apart to find it and then put it outside.
> 
> ...


****************************************************************

As for getting over your phobia They say Hypnotherpy is really good.


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

winnah03 said:


> know more about the beauty of spiders and you will overcome your fears. try to visit brown recluse spider and you'll surely know so many things about recluse spiders.


*************************************************************

I was Brave enough to open the Link The pic of all those legs made me feel abit Queesy...I was ok with the reading UNTIL................I got to the bit where they like to hide in SHOE'S :scared: Is too cold to start walking Bare-footed :scared::scared:

Wear can you buy WINTER SANDELS.


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## Lulu's owner (May 1, 2009)

Can I just remind people who are scared of spiders that they sometimes get trapped in sinks and baths because of the smooth sides and they don't want to be in there any more than you want them there. I hang a long piece of toilet paper dangling over both sides of the bath, go away for a few hours and when I come back the spider has invariably gone away as the paper has given it something to get a grip on to climb out. You don't need to have any contact with the creature at all and it's totally humane.


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

Lulu's owner said:


> Can I just remind people who are scared of spiders that they sometimes get trapped in sinks and baths because of the smooth sides and they don't want to be in there any more than you want them there. I hang a long piece of toilet paper dangling over both sides of the bath, go away for a few hours and when I come back the spider has invariably gone away as the paper has given it something to get a grip on to climb out. You don't need to have any contact with the creature at all and it's totally humane.


That's a really good idea. It is sometimes difficult to think from the spider's point of view when you're petrified, so this is a good bit of advice to remember!


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

Lulu's owner said:


> Can I just remind people who are scared of spiders that they sometimes get trapped in sinks and baths because of the smooth sides and they don't want to be in there any more than you want them there. I hang a long piece of toilet paper dangling over both sides of the bath, go away for a few hours and when I come back the spider has invariably gone away as the paper has given it something to get a grip on to climb out. You don't need to have any contact with the creature at all and it's totally humane.


Thats a good idea...But I'd want to know WHERE IT IS after it's got out of the Bath.....

Funny Story about baths well it was'nt at the time My Parents had a Brown Bathroom Suite YES You can guess where this is going 

I filled the bath up sttled down to have a good relaxing soak with my book And a few minutes lates A Bloody Huge Spider Floated under my CHIN ...I nearly had a bloody Heart Attack I Screamed Blue Murder jumped out of the bath...mum and dad came flying up the stairs thinking I'd had an accident or something....


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## Lulu's owner (May 1, 2009)

snoopydo said:


> Thats a good idea...But I'd want to know WHERE IT IS after it's got out of the Bath.....


Erm ... I was hoping you wouldn't ask that question.


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## snoopydo (Jan 19, 2010)

Tell me Tell me :scared:


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

snoopydo said:


> Tell me Tell me :scared:


It stays in the house :scared: :scared:


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## Lulu's owner (May 1, 2009)

Acacia86 said:


> It stays in the house :scared: :scared:


I'm glad it was you who broke that news and not me, I just didn't have the heart.


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Your all a bunch of sissys!


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## Lulu's owner (May 1, 2009)

Jamie said:


> Your all a bunch of sissys!


Gosh, you must have been such a loss to the Samaritans!


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## sunzstan (Sep 14, 2009)

i dont like spiders too.

found this in my living room :scared:


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## Nithnell (Aug 22, 2010)

sunzstan said:


> i dont like spiders too.
> 
> found this in my living room :scared:


ugh don't, one a similar size to that had the audacity to crawl across my shoulder when i was in the bath a couple of days ago:eek6:
since we moved to the new house, which is a big georgian farmhouse near a river, i've had OH remove countless of them


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

Lulu's owner said:


> Gosh, you must have been such a loss to the Samaritans!


lol. I am chief _morale _officer! :lol:


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## harrys_mum (Aug 18, 2010)

oh god, worse enough talking about them, but no more pics.
michelle xx


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## thatspicegirl (Dec 30, 2010)

I'm not sure what it even is about spiders that terrify the life out of me (and a lot of us). Is it the way they look? Or the thought of their millions of legs crawling all over us? The fact they can be crawling on us and we might have no idea? AH! I dunno! 

I'm not sure if I could handle holding someone's tarantula... I'm sure EVENTUALLY you could persuade me, as long as you guaranteed he wasn't gonna bite me <_<


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## GiddyKipper (Mar 11, 2011)

Urgh guys, I feel your pain. Your horror stories have given me goosebumps, and the arachnid-twitch (You know, when you see a dark smudge in the corner of your eye somewhere and just HAVE to jolt back to see if it's 8-legged ><

And what does my head in is when you'll be sat watching TV or reading, and one will just SAUNTER ACROSS THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR as if it owned the place!  Cheeky little sods. "Don't mind me, I just pay the rent so you can loiter and scare me witless. Don't worry about it spidey!"


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## MalaysiaPets (Apr 17, 2011)

I'm ok with spiders and scorpions, but centipedes creep me out. Here, we have Malaysian Earth Tiger spiders which are found in the rainforests here. :blink:

Those foot long centipedes are what I don't like to come across when I go hiking.


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## lkm (Apr 27, 2011)

I had an irrational fear of spiders all my life, they could be as little as my finger nail and I just couldn't handle it.

I had kids and kept telling myself over and over, they cannot hurt me, etc. Convincing myself they are not so bad. I didn't want to pass my fear onto them. The boys are now 7 and 8 and I don't think they know I am scared of spiders. I can now tollerate ones that are a few cms in size or a bit bigger. I can get close to big ones, well a metre close, lol, but that is a huge acheivement of what I used to be like.

I however don't think I could have one of those tarantulas walking on me though =(, I don't think I could bring myself to try it.


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## Houseofpets (Apr 23, 2011)

We did some gardening in my late Mothers garden yesterday and had to bring the garden waste with us - I was apprehensive of this as I knew somewhere it would contain spiders! A couple of miles down the road my worst fear came true, just above my Husbands head (he was driving) was a spider - had he not been travelling at 60mph I would literally of got out. It took him about 3 mins to find somewhere safe to stop and by the time he did, I felt sick, was cold, had goosebumps and fell out the door in my haste to get out! 

Even after he got 'rid' of the spider I refused to get back in until I had scanned every inch of the car! I was more than happy to make the rest of the 30 mile journey on foot, him to head to the tip, go home pick my car up (which is spider free) and then meet me somewhere along the route! This wasn't an acceptable option to him so I had to get back in but it was beyond me to hold a conversation with him as I was sooooo scared of finding another one and spent the rest of the journey looking for them! 

I know they don't hurt you but I still can't get over this irrational fear of them! :cryin:


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## critter (Sep 14, 2010)

Hi, I've got to ask!, why are all you Arachnophobes on the Spider and Inverts part of the Forum? lol. wayne.


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## Jamie (Feb 21, 2010)

critter said:


> Hi, I've got to ask!, why are all you Arachnophobes on the Spider and Inverts part of the Forum? lol. wayne.


They are confronting their fears! :lol:


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## missye87 (Apr 4, 2011)

I wouldn't say I hate spiders but I am fairly scared of them. It's apparently a learnt behaviour (thanks mum). I can do the teeny ones, and for some reason I don't find tarantulas as bad as spiders you can find around the house. Yes, I did twitch when I saw the piccies of the pet one there, but like the one sitting on the ceiling, those really get to me and freak me the hell out. It's the fat body and the icky legs that do it. My OH is Portuguese and we went to stay at his mums, who lived back then up in the mountains. The lower ground floor was a bedroom and bathroom, and believe you me I HATED every minute spent in there, I barely slept for the full two weeks. My OH convinced me to watch a dvd so we snuggled up under the duvet and popped the dvd on. I felt something on my leg, but thought it was the duvet. Felt it again, gulped, lifted up the duvet and there was a spider with a body about an inch and a half long, a half inch wide, with long icky legs. Needless to say I pretty much had a heart attack. 

Even though I find the thought of a tarantula a bit icky, I could for some reason probably accept it. I don't know why considering they are bigger and furrier than the ones you find around the house  I guess they just look different?


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## Tarnus (Apr 5, 2011)

I've slowly managed to learn to tolerate the little gigs. If it stays out of my way then I stay out of it's way. If it's small enough and in the house it can disappear by itself fine, if I decide it is too big then it must be removed!

Thought some of you might like an official guide to spiders: SPIDERS!


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2011)

They're wonderful  They're fascinating, beautiful little critters xxxx


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## ameliajane (Mar 26, 2011)

I got so fed up of my spider phobia i tried hypnotherapy. It hasn't got rid of the fear completely but i no longer feel the world has come to an end when i see large house spiders, i can now just ignore them and get on with what i'm doing, although if one runs at me i still panic a bit.

BUT... it's made me absolutely adore smaller spiders  - the ground/wolf/hunting type spiders (no idea what they're called really) you commonly see on dry ground in the UK.

Whenever i see one i just _have_ to stop and pick it up! They are adorable! And baby harvestmen too! And i get a bit obsessive over touching any spider webs i see too.

It's all a bit weird because it's slightly obsessive and i really didn't like them before - especially the harvestmen and sticky spiderwebs were horrible.

Anyone else tried hypnotherapy?


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## Vidobi04 (Jun 14, 2011)

I have night terrors about them. I will be half awake and can see them crawling all over my bed and Walls. When I then jump put of bed I realise they aren't actually there. Scares the he'll out of me though. I do not like small spiders or house spiders at all. Strangely enough terantulas don't really bother me to look at on the television or Internet etc.


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## Zanki (Jun 1, 2011)

I found out half the people at work have a fear of spiders yesterday. Some guys brought in a huge TV to sell, I saw the large spider in the box and decided to get rid of it before someone squashed it. I picked it up with a piece of paper and it charged at my hand. Half the people I worked with ran away from me and what they where doing at the tills. I just calmly took it outside, amused by the thing trying to get to my hand. The thing was fast and I haven't seen one like it before. I feel sorry for all of you who are scared of them. I have a thing about milipeeds and centipeeds thanks to coming home from a field trip once and when I got changed three fell out of my clothes. That really freaked me out. I don't scream and run from them, but I refuse to pick them up even though I'm fine with everything apart from wasps and bees which is understandable.


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## Vicampo (Aug 28, 2011)

Jamie said:


> They are confronting their fears! :lol:


What species is that?

I used to be terrified of spiders up until 8 months ago. Now I have 11 tarantulas.


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## DCSB (Aug 15, 2011)

I hate spiders. I'm terrified. Even the little tiny ones! they just really freak me out. I have had more than one experience of them crawlin in my bed ugh that grossed me out, I had to sleep in the other room for a week! -_- and once a load of baby ones floated into my room and in all my drawers! again I had to wash all my clothed and disinfect the drawers haha  wish I wasn't scared but thats how it is. I have tried to face the phobia but can't bring myself to do it.


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## MCWillow (Aug 26, 2011)

So I am reading this thread, hoping to get some clues on how to cure my spider phobia, when I see a bloody big hairy 8 legged thing climb behind the blind 

I can't see it right now, so I can go to bed (at the other end of my boat) and know it is 70 feet away from me - any closer and I would be ringing friends to see if they had a place on a sofa :blush2:

I would be happy for some one-on-one therapy to cure my phobia - although I did pretty good not passing it on to my son - he laughs at me before rescuing me when he comes to visit!


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## cattygirl (Mar 23, 2011)

I've slept in the car before now because of a spider in the house!!!!
How pathetic is that?
That's a rhetorical question by the way


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2011)

I am petrified of them, even seeing photo's creep me out..


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## art81 (Oct 26, 2011)

hi all hope you are all well and so are your furry and none furrry friends. I had a very bad fear of spiders after being bitten by one when i was 12, i now have two chille roses lol and the fear has gone. i overcame it in the petshop when it was handed to me !!!!!!!!!!! that did the trick , not that i sugest anyone does the same .


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## emmar (Aug 1, 2008)

sunzstan said:


> i dont like spiders too.
> 
> found this in my living room :scared:


:scared: :scared: omg!! thats huge


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## marleyboo (Oct 24, 2011)

i knew i shouldnt have entered this part of the forum :nonod::hand:

im absoloutly terried of spiders, i dont dis-like them , i know they are harmless(most of them) so dont like to hurt them :nonod:

you know its strange because i actually like the BIG spiders and the very small ones too!

its the in-betweeny ones that terrify me! the one with the spiked legs and fat bodies?:cryin: or the ones with tiny bodies and massive long legs!!


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## art81 (Oct 26, 2011)

I dont blame you if you dont like spiders whatever shap or size , i was terified of the little critters but after gettin the first one (SAM) i overcame the fear and now i have three also some friends of mine have held them an overcame there fear could be worth a try if you are feeling brave !!!  yours phil


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## DP21 (Jan 29, 2012)

If it helps, here are some facts about tarantulas and spiders

*Tarantula's*

"Their bodies are carpeted with chemosensitive bristles that provide something analogous to a combined sense of taste and smell"

"bristles that are not chemosensors are extremely sensitive to sound, especially in the lower frequencies, and courser vibrations like those produced by moving prey"

"Many tarantulas, especially the arboreals, apparently have pretty good vision, and have been observed turning to follow moving prey on a neighboring branch for instance"

"tarantulas are ambush predators"

"Tarantula's natural defences are to run and hide, or when cornered will more than likely take anouther course of action, such as rearing up in a threat posture, biteing, flicking urticating hairs, or shooting poop at you. In the cases were they immediatly rear up, or try to bite, it is a case of the threat to there instincts being based upon the level of threat at the time"

"Tarantula bites can not kill you. The pain from a tarantula bite is often compared to a bee sting, this is far from the truth for the following reasons...

A) Everyone reacts diffrent to there venom

B) Some tarantula bites dont even come close to a bee sting, were as others are far far worse. The worst report from a tarantula bite was from an old world tarantula, the tarantula's in question are called "Feather legged baboon", and "Fringed ornamental". The fringed ornamental left somone in severe pain and swears, that the body reacted to protect it self, by going into a comer. The comer lasted 48 hours.... The feather legged baboon, bit a native on the neck, making his neck swell and almost cutting off his air supply. The least effective bite reports, No feeling what so ever from a bite from an Metallic pink toe, and a relaxing feeling, were the mucles become loose and limp from a Guyana pink toe bite. Infact i remember when i had one having ago at me, and bit me several times. I sat there saying "awwww, are we angry today"... No effects from the bite what so ever."

Theres many more to add here, but non the less, in short.... Tarantulas and spiders, is basically instinct on legs. They mean you no harm, and wont on the condition you mean them no harm.

For example, black widow bites, never happen unless A) accidental B) a purpose move on our part... Meaning that more than 50% of bites from a black widow is down to us attacking them, rather than accidental bites, such as putting on a glove.... Infact Black widows are VERY docile spiders.

*Spiders*

Spiders are more or less the same, but with few diffrences, such as all tarantulas have retracting claws, were as not every spider does. And the venom on quiet a few spiders can cause severe damage, or fatality. Tarantulas fangs move up and down, were as spiders fangs move from side to side (with the exeption of a few small selection). And ofcourse the obviouse, tarantulas are much larger than spiders (again with a few exeptions to the dwarf tarantulas).

And as much as i can fill in more in, i wont, as there are a few facts here that would make you go insane at pressent. BUT this may be off some comfort, the venom milked from these animals are going to good use when it comes to medicen's, i believe they recently made a very powerful pain killer from the venoms, that is more powerful and safer than the pain killers we have to date. Still being tested ofcourse. And something interesting to add, Tarantula silk (webbing) is much much stronger than the materials used in a bullet proof jacket. And according to science (which is currently under testing) when you put the web on a gash, or cut, it heals much faster, and makes that area much much more stronger, and tougher. As the web and skin heal together, making you become tougher skinned.

Hope this comes as some relief, again they mean you no harm, and are very benaficial when it comes to new medicens, and other area's.


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## Shingara (Mar 8, 2012)

spiders scare me to death, i cant even watch them on tv im that bad :thumbup1: sufice to say my dog has learned to attack them lol. dont ask me how she knows to attack them but she sure does.

Stems back to when i was about 11 years old and a kid down my street kept spiders, one day his dog ran in and whacked the table with all the containers on and all the spiders he had got out and they were freaking huge and sprinted to every corner of the room bar one that ran at me. since then i cant even stand them.

BTW has anyone else noticed they sneak up on you.


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