Phobia?

[stevej37]

Every year I take the pond plants down to the basement before the first frost. (which I did last week)
They are costly, and it's nice to have full grown plants in the pond when spring comes.
The trouble is, that you never know what's hiding in the foliage.

Today, I found one of these on the basement wall next to the plants. A wolf spider..the size of a silver dollar. I froze, and backed up to find a broom to kill it.



Snakes, rats, or mice....I don't mind. But spiders really get to me.
Is this normal?

[sc_rufctr]

Snakes for me... No arms or legs BUT fangs & poison??? Creepy bastards.

I think spiders are cool. My eldest daughter hates spiders but loves snakes.

- When it comes to phobias, I think we're all a little bit weird.

[masraum]

I don't think I have any phobias, but if i did, it would probably be spiders. I love to watch a spider in a web. I don't mind a spider that's "over there." What I don't want is a spider on my person. I don't like running into a web face first.

We have tarantulas here. I saw one once while out mowing. It was very timid. They are, from what I understand, actually pretty fragile. If one crawled up my leg, I think I'd launch it into orbit while sheitting myself.

My wife's grandmother used to have a house on some property that the family used as a get-away. It was down a 1/4mile drive that was essentially a tunnel through the woods. There were many weekends when we'd leave when I got off work on Fri night, and get there at 10 or 11pm. Driving down the 1/4 mile drive, you'd see hundreds of webs spanning the driveway hung between the trees. The bodies of the spiders were bulbous and the size of the end of your thumb. As we drove down the road through their webs, you'd hear the thumps as they hit the top of the car. Then when we got to the house in the pitch dark, you had to get out of the car that was potentially covered in large spiders. That was always my least favorite part of the trip.

They were usually this sort of thing.

[Bob Kontak]

Just read the below, Steve. It will cure your phobia.

It is possible to be allergic to a wolf spider's venom, but they are not poisonous. Since wolf spiders are large, their bite may be painful. If you have mild pain, swelling, or itchiness around the bite, it shouldn't last long.

[Tobra]

I am like you are with spiders about kidney stones, the prospect terrifies me.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Just read the below, Steve. It will cure your phobia.

It is possible to be allergic to a wolf spider's venom, but they are not poisonous. Since wolf spiders are large, their bite may be painful. If you have mild pain, swelling, or itchiness around the bite, it shouldn't last long.

I'm sure you meant the other Steve. I know for me, it's not the bite that's concerning. It's the creepy factor. I assume that's the same thing for folks that don't like snakes.

This year we've had hardly any spiders because it's been super dry. Last summer, we had tons of spiders. Sometimes you'd go out in the evening and be able to count tens of the big orb weavers in webs around each tree. But then you'd look into the grass and see hundreds of little sparkles in the grass where were the reflections of the eyes of all of the little spiders in the grass.

[A930Rocket]

Snakes and spiders?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I am like you are with spiders about kidney stones, the prospect terrifies me.

You don't want to run into a web with a kidney stone in the middle of it?

[sc_rufctr]

"Kidney stones" equals PAIN like you wouldn't believe...

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Just read the below, Steve. It will cure your phobia.

It is possible to be allergic to a wolf spider's venom, but they are not poisonous. Since wolf spiders are large, their bite may be painful. If you have mild pain, swelling, or itchiness around the bite, it shouldn't last long.

Thanks...that doesn't make me feel any better about them.

I'm just glad I didn't have a shotgun in my hands....the repair bill would be big.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by masraum

If one crawled up my leg, I think I'd launch it into orbit while sheitting myself.

+1

Tarantulas, wolf spiders, cicada killers, rat snakes, etc. are extremely frightening yet benign.

The cow killer, an attractive, wingless wasp will mess you up for real and does not carry that ominous look. Saw a few in Houston.

[HobieMarty]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Every year I take the pond plants down to the basement before the first frost. (which I did last week)

They are costly, and it's nice to have full grown plants in the pond when spring comes.

The trouble is, that you never know what's hiding in the foliage.



Today, I found one of these on the basement wall next to the plants. A wolf spider..the size of a silver dollar. I froze, and backed up to find a broom to kill it.







Snakes, rats, or mice....I don't mind. But spiders really get to me.

Is this normal?

Aww man, just catch it in a bucket and take it back outside. I don't mind spiders around as long as they aren't going to be in my way when cutting the grass, definitely don't want them inside the house.
Out in the yard, if they are in my way, I get a long stick and get them to crawl onto it and then I relocate them to the woods.
I picked up a baby snake the other day and took it out to the woods also.

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[HobieMarty]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

+1



Tarantulas, wolf spiders, cicada killers, rat snakes, etc. are extremely frightening yet benign.



The cow killer, an attractive, wingless wasp will mess you up for real and does not carry that ominous look. Saw a few in Houston.

Yep, we have those around from time to time. We always called them "velvet ants" even though they actually are not an ant.

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[HobieMarty]

https://youtu.be/a1jXONh_vIs

Big spider in my backyard.

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[HobieMarty]

https://youtu.be/wl8nGiwNifI

Same spider.

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[HobieMarty]

https://youtu.be/Fd8X_BFog60

Same big spider, different view.

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[stevej37]

^^^
If that was close to my house....it would have been dead at the 30 second mark...sorry!

[oldE]

Why would you need a stick to pick up and relocate a spider? They will usually climb onto your hand with a bit of encouragement.

Best
Les

[Sooner or later]

I had a pet tarantula. Easily handled. Lived for years and years. It liked crickets

[JackDidley]

I probably would have done the same. I am ok with spiders and snakes outside but do not want them in the house.