Phobia to Hobby

SilverTycho

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
70
Up until recently, I had a major phobia of spiders. I once came home to a spider next to the door (not even on the door). So, I went to the front door to discover the same problem. So, I sat in my car and waited over a hour for my parents to come home. A few years ago when I moved across state, I realized my apartment had a spider problem. It wasn't a huge problem, but I'd freak out constantly and would have to wait for my ex who was my then bf to take care of the problem. I couldn't get close enough to catch or even kill them. I would have a panic attack. I opened a package that had a DEAD spider in it and couldn't even get near that.

Then, a couple years ago, I went to a reptile store to see the snakes, and I noticed the tarantulas. I was pretty freaked out but over the next few weeks thought about it. I had experience with snakes, millipedes, and even roaches so why not tarantulas? Over the next couple years, I developed more and more interest until my current boyfriend offered to buy me a G. rosea as a birthday gift in July. Best bday gift ever. I have have five T's.

Now, I no longer even care if I see a house spider. I found one a few inches from me and gently put it outside. No fear at all. I'm very comfortable with my tarantulas. I don't handle them, but not due to fear.

I experienced my first molt the other day, and I was so excited (curlyhair sling)! :biggrin:. Tarantulas are so much fun! I even like my defensive B. boehmei lol. Most people who know me don't understand how I can be around tarantulas. My grandmother understands, though! She came to my house just to see them. I asked her if she was scared of them, and she reminded me not much bothers her. Here's proof, my grandmother with my rat she was quarantining:
http://www.belovedfreedom.com/rats/holly/grandmotherholly080805R.JPG

Edit: Oh, and thank you Arachnoboards! All the threads I've read causing me to realize my sling was possibly going to molt. Came in handy since I had a cricket with it and did manage to get it out.
 

MarkmD

Arachnoprince
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
1,835
That's good that you got over your phobia, I think you understand that they are not scary as made out to be, just a miss understood creatures.
 

Alltheworld601

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jul 27, 2012
Messages
791
I think there needs to be an arachnophobia support group complete with educational tactics and ways to conquer such an unreasonable yet life-controlling fear. Ive been reading a lot of it lately, and this is a passion of mine. Maybe this forum should have a subforum for arachnophobes and former arachnophobes. It would help a lot of people and drive a lot of people to the site and also the hobby. I hope some mods see this and consider my suggestion :)
 

felix66

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 22, 2011
Messages
10
I used to have a huge phobia of spiders as well,when a true spider came into my room I just left the house.One day I got angry and I decided to conquer my fear and all of the sudden I managed and the strange outcome was that I started to get interested in tarantulas and now I am super addicted to this hobby and I realized how beautiful they are and really misunderstood.Now my arachnophobia is transformed into love and understanding
 
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netr

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
158
I've always been interested in arthropods and have never found it difficult to admire any spider from afar. Direct encounters frightened me and even now the speed of a large house spider still gives me quite a rush.
My interest in the hobby is similar to belovedfreedom's: the proprietor of a local exotics shop came to our school back in the day (2003) and showed us some of the reptiles and invertebrates. Thereafter my friend and I would regularly drop by the shop and look at the tarantulas; if memory serves they had adult B. smithi, G. rosea, Theraphosa sp. and possibly Poecilotheria tarantulas. The most recent pet shop I visited was in Finland and it had only a G. rosea - albeit a stunning RCF.

Since getting back into the hobby in recent weeks I've had some noteworthy experiences with misinformation. I reside currently in an apartment that was just sold; while it was on the market we had regular visits from prospective buyers. We had to be out of the building while these took place, but I was later told by the owner that the real estate agent had been having all kinds of trouble from people. Even though the tarantulas are mine and are obviously leaving with me when I move out, people had been asking about them escaping and laying eggs in the walls and so on - and now that I remember, this was actually before I acquired all my spiderlings, so the only visible T had been my G. rosea, secure in her terrarium with a metal lock! Of course the real estate agent knew little himself about tarantulas and therefore probably wasn't in the best position to allay any fears. I would gladly have offered to try to clarify or answer questions had I known in time. I'm no expert on tarantulas, but I think I could handle a question like "If a tarantula which has been kept in isolation for more than nine years manages to escape, will it lay eggs everywhere?"

So, I can only thoroughly endorse school visits and other means of helping those not drawn to spiders by hobby or study to learn a bit more about them, and dispel some of the myths that result in their being needlessly feared, expelled from houses or squashed. And that's just spiders; the likes of wolves and many others could rather use a hand too.

I should mention the zoological museum here in Copenhagen has a marvellous spider exhibition running from around July to December. Seems to be proving popular with schools, which is great. They had an absolutely beautiful, brown Poecilotheria (forget the species) which had died when I was last there. I'm going for the third time next week. >__>
 

Storm76

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 30, 2012
Messages
3,797
I should mention the zoological museum here in Copenhagen has a marvellous spider exhibition running from around July to December. Seems to be proving popular with schools, which is great. They had an absolutely beautiful, brown Poecilotheria (forget the species) which had died when I was last there. I'm going for the third time next week. >__>
If I'm ever able to make it there during that time, I'll make sure to check it out!
 

SamuraiSid

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
758
Up until recently, I had a major phobia of spiders. I once came home to a spider next to the door (not even on the door). So, I went to the front door to discover the same problem. So, I sat in my car and waited over a hour for my parents to come home.
Thank you for sharing this story. I've read a few, "Im arachnophobic" threads on AB, and your is the first accurate one. Big difference between fear and phobia, and you had a phobia. People might think Im being uneccesarily anal, but the difference are night and day, venom and poison, and worth talking about.
 

Alltheworld601

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jul 27, 2012
Messages
791
Thank you for sharing this story. I've read a few, "Im arachnophobic" threads on AB, and your is the first accurate one. Big difference between fear and phobia, and you had a phobia. People might think Im being uneccesarily anal, but the difference are night and day, venom and poison, and worth talking about.
I was, and still occasionally am (but getting better) that way with bees. Once when I was little I saw a bee on the front porch, and I refused to come inside for HOURS. The kicker? I never got close enough to examine the so-called bee, so when my parents finally came out to figure out why I was in hysterics and wouldn't come in the house, and I pointed, they notified me that my "bee" was actually just a small golden colored gash in the wood. I'll never get those hours back!

I have also jumped out of a moving car because of a bee.

And have paid people to take my dog outside for me when at my old apartment we had a major infestation of carpenter bees, the size of golf balls. To my credit, those things are huge and aggressive...but to my chagrin, the males do not possess stingers, and the females are non aggressive.

Needless to say....while its not spider related, you're correct on the difference between fear and phobia. I used to have a fear of spiders, but never a phobia. I rarely squished any if I could help it, and I would be wary if I knew one was in the room, and guard my head against potential "drops", but overall we peacefully coexisted until one day I discovered that I LOVED them. There were a few exceptions of course. Giant ones I had never seen before appearing randomly, I would have somebody else squish them. I still feel awful about it to this day, having my stepfather drive over and kill a giant wolf spider I found in my bathroom...but i had no idea what it was at the time and it was right next to my son's room...no excuse...I wish I'd caught it in a cup and given it a good home or let it go outside.. But, either way, I would still remain in my house.

Bees and wasps on the other hand....

The stories I could tell. (but i'm a lot better now!)

---------- Post added 10-15-2012 at 08:35 AM ----------

ooh, another amusing bee story... one of my old apartments..i discovered one, actually a wasp, a yellowjacket, it was half dead as it was, and crawling around on the living room floor near a corner. I FREAKED out. I showed my cat. And then I proceeded to lock myself in the enclosed porch and watch from behind glass. My kitty tried to take care of the menace but was stung. He gave me a dirty look and walked away, like "you're on your own, B***." So like 30 minutes later, I ran inside and threw a phone book on top of the poor thing, and THERE IT STAYED until I moved out.

When my friends helped me move out I warned them there was a bee under the phone book, low and behold it was still there. Still somewhat alive, too, which was amazing as it was under there for at least two months.
 

netr

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
158
I showed my cat. And then I proceeded to lock myself in the enclosed porch and watch from behind glass. My kitty tried to take care of the menace but was stung. He gave me a dirty look and walked away, like "you're on your own, B***."
Cats are the best.
 

Peter Parker

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
63
Me too bro. After watching arachnophobia in the theaters when I was a kid. They scared the 1234 out of me. Two weeks later my mom brought me to the local pet store to grab food for my chinese box turtle and the employer who I thought was so cool because he always had huge snakes and alligators had just gotten bit by a tarantula. He said it hurt really bad and had to go to the hospital. So yeah they made me uneasy. I was a kid. So to conquered my fears. I bought a curlyhair. She was and still is my favorite T. No more fear.
 

Peter Parker

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
63
I feel that certain media advertising should be made aware of and lawfully banned. The pesticide community prides themselves and heavily profits at scaring home owners and businesses that tarantulas are dangerous and need extermination. Read between the lines people this is everyday stuff in your face that inflicts fear. I have seen at least 3 Orkin and 3 Terminex trucks a day on the highway. They are going somewhere. Yes obviously if your house is infested with termites you need an industrial means of mitigation. But making it a point for profit to exterminate tarantulas. Not OK. This was taken off there website, not my word

"Although all tarantulas are venomous, some are more so than others. The Selenocosmiinae are both extremely defensive and known to produce potent venom. The Theraphosinae, on the other hand, are docile and produce venom that will not prove harmful to humans unless an individual is allergic. Tarantula bites are painful and might result in heavy bleeding. In the event of severe symptoms, seek medical attention. "

This paragraph would suggest that they are scientist and biological experts. That they have record keeping systems on tarantula bites own and study venoms. There is nothing I can see as to where they received this data and endorsed by experts. This is false advertising which is illegal and should be made law. under advertising law right to know 2.6 is misleading

They also go on to discuss this list of tarantulas

Australian Red Back Tarantula
Black Tarantulas
Brazilian Black Tarantula
Brown tarantulas
Chaco Golden Stripe Tarantulas
King Babboon
Colorful Tarantulas
Hairy Tarantulas
Haitian Brown Tarantulas
Red Haired Tarantula
Zebra Tarantula
Pink Patch Birdeater Tarantula
And so many others.
Seems rather vague to me as they knows for a fact the severity of bites and or injury of all these species. Nor do I feel they know the actual potency strength of individual venom for a particular species.
I feel if they make such a claim and profit from this claim by law they should back it up or remove it.
 

poisoned

Arachnodemon
Joined
Apr 17, 2012
Messages
690
If I see something wrong in ads I always contact the company. I even got TV ad off air once.
 

Peter Parker

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
63
I know that was not the start of the topic but it falls in a related category somehow. I feel too much media is responsible for a lot of our concerns and fears. It goes hand in hand and anyone profiting from from fear should back it up. I personally am tired of people asking me about a bites. Its like they want to be afraid. Who cares about the bites. Yeah I got bit. So what move on and try not to have it happen again.
@ Poisoned Really that's awesome. May I ask the story of it.
 

netr

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
158
This was taken off there website, not my word

"Although all tarantulas are venomous, some are more so than others. The Selenocosmiinae are both extremely defensive and known to produce potent venom. The Theraphosinae, on the other hand, are docile and produce venom that will not prove harmful to humans unless an individual is allergic. Tarantula bites are painful and might result in heavy bleeding. In the event of severe symptoms, seek medical attention. "

This paragraph would suggest that they are scientist and biological experts. That they have record keeping systems on tarantula bites own and study venoms. There is nothing I can see as to where they received this data and endorsed by experts. This is false advertising which is illegal and should be made law. under advertising law right to know 2.6 is misleading
Isolated from what I assume is a website telling you (either directly or indirectly) that these creatures are some kind of menace comparable with hornets, rats and so on, and ought to be cause for employing the services of the company, that text isn't as unreasonable or misinformed as I expected it might be. They at least get a point for using 'defensive' rather than 'aggressive', and however grudgingly refrain from marking tarantulas as life-threatening animals. That quote could just as readily have been quoted from a book on husbandry. Of course to the everyday arachnophobe (or general athropod hater) these are trifles, and the mention of venom of any potency is probably enough to get a contract out of the company. Furthermore I totally agree that any information of this sort used by companies to sell their products should be reliably and clearly cited. Trust is a very difficult thing to come by in marketing and advertising, but it's something providers of services should be obliged to cultivate. And that said while the details this exterminator gives about specific species may be messy and lacking any citation or such, it at least apparently isn't trying to propagate crass misinformation like "Tarantulas are extremely dangerous (just look at how big they are!) and need to be exterminated before they infest your home!" - even if it cannily remains ambiguous enough to score a sale from those who know no better than to believe it.

 

Peter Parker

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
63
@Netr I agree there is no BOLD lettering saying Deadly Tarantula. This is a very small paragraph they wrote of a species they refer to as the hairy tarantula. Read further http://www.orkin.com/other/spiders/ they are very vague in there wording when it comes to tarantulas genus and species. They make statements about many various species tarantulas and health/injuries that occur from various species( No Latin Names which mean they are not experts ) without disclosing where there information has come from. For example hospital records. That is my point. A painful bite to me may not be painful to you, who said anything about blowing 100$ at the ER because my finger hurt, you see. They do not disclose what allergic symptoms are. As you said and I thank you, subliminally they are instilling fear. I have never heard of Anaphylaxis to tarantulas. They are especially instilling fear when this in on there website for a business in the business of exterminating potentially very harmful animals and pests. I don't know your average house wife who searches online for large arachnids on a exterminators website if they are not afraid. All your average Joe Phobic has to see is the word, Allergy or hospital and it is scary. This is all mumbo jumbo. I urge you to look at the site. Great pic.
 

netr

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 18, 2012
Messages
158
Thanks for the link, I had a look. To be honest I'm unhappy to see spiders in general actually categorised as a kind of pest, and disappointed that the site displays no interest in correcting such ignorance. I think that's in awkward disjoint with the various spider fact sheets, which themselves are not all bad. The lack of scientific names, citations and so on I think can be put down to that such information is unlikely to be of interest to your everyday user of the website, and might actually have a deterring effect if a document becomes encumbered with academic/scientific data. But the pages would still benefit from a discreet list of sources and suggestions for further reading. The fact sheets themselves are okay I think in trasmitting general info about tarantulas and other spiders, although I agree that the use of only common names is truly maddening. Worse, they just give information about the animals without actively attempting to dispel any of the misconceptions people visiting the site may have - as you say, Joe Phobic will see the word 'allergy', but nothing concerning the fact that there is no record of any tarantula killing anybody and that just about every tarantula is sure to run away or assume a threat posture, rather than leap into action. Those are the kinds of honest reassurances people need to hear more often. And labelling all spiders under "Other Pests"? Ludicrous.
 

Peter Parker

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jun 30, 2012
Messages
63
Thanks for the link, I had a look. To be honest I'm unhappy to see spiders in general actually categorised as a kind of pest, and disappointed that the site displays no interest in correcting such ignorance. I think that's in awkward disjoint with the various spider fact sheets, which themselves are not all bad. The lack of scientific names, citations and so on I think can be put down to that such information is unlikely to be of interest to your everyday user of the website, and might actually have a deterring effect if a document becomes encumbered with academic/scientific data. But the pages would still benefit from a discreet list of sources and suggestions for further reading. The fact sheets themselves are okay I think in trasmitting general info about tarantulas and other spiders, although I agree that the use of only common names is truly maddening. Worse, they just give information about the animals without actively attempting to dispel any of the misconceptions people visiting the site may have - as you say, Joe Phobic will see the word 'allergy', but nothing concerning the fact that there is no record of any tarantula killing anybody and that just about every tarantula is sure to run away or assume a threat posture, rather than leap into action. Those are the kinds of honest reassurances people need to hear more often. And labelling all spiders under "Other Pests"? Ludicrous.
@ Netr
Thanks Brother
 

Tarac

Arachnolord
Joined
Oct 6, 2011
Messages
618
It just sounds uninformed to me, it's not so dramatic in fact. They said of spiders at large:

"Only two species are harmful to humans in the United States. Sanitation is the best control measure."

Referring of course to the recluse and the widow. They do note that tarantulas are generally harmless to humans and mention that they are good pest control because of their diet. Yes, there is some vagueness that points at being uninformed. But they are pest control so they are not as concerned with non-pests as they are with termites, roaches, ants, etc. You wouldn't expect most gardening shops to be Theraphosid savvy right? And they also have tangential relationship to tarantulas in the right parts of the country. I hate to say it about a pest control company, but they know about as much as your average Petco even though their job is to get rid of any unwanted pest, harmless or not. It isn't saying all that much, but I don't think they are trying to terrify anyone. Perhaps if you offered in a kind and non-confrontational way to amend their company website's description they might consider updating it (remembering not to allow your own bias to over-do it; there will always be people who are afraid of them just as there are people with strange fears of frogs or butterflies). Otherwise, it isn't really unreasonable for someone to mention allergies as they are not experts and it is a concern with true spiders. This is only a simple false inference.

Not defending being uninformed, but I think we're being a little too hard on them for not knowing exact details besides what they pulled from a book. It's a far cry from most media coverage or the way that many legislators frame discussions about tarantulas, which really are involved in creating undue hysteria surrounding tarantulas and their keepers. And I do agree that this happens, it's blatantly obvious. But I think we should distinguish between inaccurate info- i.e. wikipets care sheets or natural history information from the Orkin website- and flat out propaganda like this:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/deadly-pet-tarantula-rescued-article-1.241326

""This is the kind of spider that nightmares are made of," said Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He said the spider is moody and aggressive, and when it rears up on its hind legs, it can jump three feet and will bite with its large fangs. The venomous bites are dangerous to humans, Gross said."

Really?

We just have to keep working to dispel myths and responsibly help expose the public to the true nature of our misunderstood pets. It will be a benefit to us, as hobbyists, as well as to the animals, the public, and would-be arachnophobes. Keep exposure minimal and what exposure there is should be in the spirit of education, not shock value. Public entomological literacy matters.
 
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