black widows

Kaisa

ughh so i haven't seen any more spiders but last night i discovered we may have a bad silverfish problem. I turned the light on in the bathroom and seen about 4 crawling around so I killed them then turned the light off and came back 10 minutes later and killed 4 more. every time i went back in the bathroom and turned hte light on there was 4 or so new ones each time sounds like these guys are next to impossible to get rid of but at least they dont bite or do much damage other than eat wallpaper and glue from books and starchy foods. I'm a little nervous to check the pantry incase they've been living in there but it has to be done

redchigh

Now that I think about it, it would depend on how I encounter the bug. If I see it, I want to help it. I'm kind of in control, and know that if I keep my eye on it then I won't let it bite me.

If I look over on my shoulder and there's a larger-sized bug or a spider then I sometimes I accidentally/or not kill them before I manage to get them off me. Something big like a walking stick or preying mantis, I would probably squish first and ask questions later.
I still help big bugs, but they kind of creep me out too. Won't let them touch me while I'm moving them. Odd.

willow

spiders are sneaky they always run at me from underneath a unit,
they get caught in a glass removed from the house and told to "not come back" !!
moths i love,i think they are so pretty,as are butterflies.
somethings will make me shudder,and i wouldn't want to hold them,but i try not to
squish if i can help it.

TexasTanker

I grew up overseas and we had all manner of creepy crawly. Imagine four inch geckos by the dozen in every room. Because they nested almost exclusively in our closets and in dark places they were nearly translucent with horrid big black eyes. By the time I was nine I had captured, marked and named all the ones in my room. Then we had Banana spiders (about the size of a dinner plate) that set up webs all around the house and in the trees we climbed. I became quite inoculated to creepy crawlies. I even got used to coral snakes and Habu. THEN we moved to Texas. The creepy crawlies got bigger and scarier. I never got used to the Black Widows, Scorpions, or Bees. (Bees send me into cardiac arrest within minutes of a bite or sting). I did learn to appreciate the spiders though. The webs were so big and intricate they often caught the other potentially lethal bugs that tried to get in. I still don't kill spiders if I can help it. If they are bitey or dangerous they go outside. If they're potentially lethal to the kids or dog... they go to the boat piers.

This sounds quite high and mighty until you hear about snakes. I cannot stand them. They freak me out. pet snakes are not an issue. I have a healthy respect for those. Wild snakes... they get triple O buck. When I was working with the police department in Texas I got called to the high school to capture some copperheads that were in the Ag department's Water cistern. My direct supervisor handed me waders and tongs and laughed. I refrained from shoving him into the five foot deep water and came up with my own plan. I had them drain the tank, then Idispatched the snakes with custom loaded bird shot. I have no desire to get that close to one ever again. And I never set a single toe in the tank.

Taz

Hi Kaisa;
How're you making out with the widows?

Taz

Good on you for being smarter than them! Hip waders indeed! Hummph! What's a Habu? And geckos are about the only lizard I can handle (mentally) because they eat the creepy crawlies, and don't bite, right? but I still wouldn't want to stick my hand in a closet and find one.

TexasTanker

The geckos were totally innoccuous. They were so used to humans (military base housing) they didn't even drop their tails when handled. I caught a lot of them with live traps for mice. I would catch a cricket and put it in the trap. Then i'd number it with Crayola marker and let it go. Imagine my thrill and delight when I discovered the yellow marker glowed under black light. Ah the joys of being ten.

The only place I ever encountered Habu was on the golf course my dad took me to. They were scarey but weren't very aggressive, not when compared to the snakes I met later on.