# are you afraid of bugs



## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

(no specific bug, just bugs and spiders in general)

out of about 40 people at work, there are only two guys. the buildings are pretty old and our storage shed dusty so there are bugs galore in certain areas and the women just freak out when they see them :lol

they are just bugs, harmless little critters that just want to get by


----------



## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I'm not afraid of insects, they're just unclean and gross me out. I'm afraid when I see roaches, because I fear that I'll step on them and there are few things that disgust me more than that. _Especially_ barefoot. I stepped barefoot onto a roach many years ago, and I immediately began shaking my foot feverishly during a bout of dry-heaving. They're disgusting.


----------



## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

Yes. Is it really all that hard for them to stay in their natural environment (I suppose not, since they are in fact bugs and are less intelligent)? I don't go outside and eat ants' food, yet they just loooove to be near my spice rack.

Shoo!


----------



## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

No, but I don't exactly like having them around, either.


----------



## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

This thread is cursed. I was in my bathroom just now and had to attack a ****ing spider. Must've come up from the basement. Raid couldn't have killed it any slower.

I have a tiny bathroom, see, so when I see a spider in my tiny bathroom - on the tub of all places, it's going to end up dead.


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Very, very much.

I had a hornet get into the house accidentally today and thank God my husband was home to kill it for me. Not sure what I would have done otherwise... :afr


----------



## holtby43 (Jan 1, 2008)

I'm afraid of most of them, especially spiders.



IllusionOfHappiness said:


> I have a tiny bathroom, see, so when I see a spider in my tiny bathroom - on the tub of all places, it's going to end up dead.


That's a dilemma for me, I don't like to kill them but I don't want to go near them either! :afr


----------



## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

I can't step on anything but ants, and spraying them is just as bad because it makes them run, in turn making _me_ want to run.

Me + bugs = just plain not a good combination


----------



## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

hell YES


----------



## venusfruit (May 9, 2008)

Bugs really freak me out. If I see a bug in my room, I have to ask my dad to kill it.


----------



## User57854 (Dec 26, 2006)

-


----------



## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

Nope. I think I get the shivers and creeps when I first see one, like you pick up something and there it is surprising you, but after that I'm fine.


----------



## BeautifulSorta (May 2, 2008)

No, but I am afraid of ticks though. But that's only because the only one time I've had a tick it gave me Borrelia and my worst summer ever. And if you already have had Borrelia once it's easier getting it again, so now I am extremely afraid of finding another tick on my body. I stay away from roedeers nowdays since ticks have gatherings on roedeers.


----------



## Nae (Nov 10, 2003)

Bugs are great. Their range of adaptations is pretty amazing. They rule the world.


----------



## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

Yes. I use my bug spray liberally.


----------



## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

venusfruit said:


> Bugs really freak me out. If I see a bug in my room, I have to ask my dad to kill it.


I was the same way a couple years back. My parents would coolly pick up the bug with a tissue paper/gloves etc. and put it outside. I couldn't do that. At best, I would vacuum it up :lol Though now I am meaner and I use the bug spray.


----------



## sctork (Oct 23, 2006)

For the most part, no. 
I do have a problem with cockroaches though. I know they can't hurt you and all, but they're just so gross (and they make a nauseating crunch noise when you smush them). I mean...anything that can survive weeks after being decapitated is just not natural!


----------



## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

IllusionOfHappiness said:


> I can't step on anything but ants, and spraying them is just as bad because it makes them run, in turn making _me_ want to run.


solution: either just lightly tap them or blow on them and they'll run away.


----------



## Halfie (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm terrified by bugs. Even houseflies. (That wasn't always the case, only after I lived at this horribly dirty house with giant horseflies everywhere, and I could really see how furry and gross-looking a fly's body is, and watch them vomiting and sucking up on food they landed on. They were so big I could feel them land in my hair when I tried to sleep at night. I tried hitting one with a book. It landed on its back with its legs in the air, completely still, for hours, until I tried picking it up later and it started buzzing and flailing its legs wildly, flipped over, and ran onto the paper I was holding towards my hand. I screamed and ran away!)


----------



## mserychic (Oct 2, 2004)

Giant hairy spiders freak me out. I'll go running for my grandpa to kill em. All other bugs annoy me but I just catch them and bring them back outside.


----------



## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

I put no, but once in a while, if I'm not expecting to see one they can startle me. I can't even kill the spiders in my apt...not the case in the past, :con


----------



## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

nubly said:


> IllusionOfHappiness said:
> 
> 
> > I can't step on anything but ants, and spraying them is just as bad because it makes them run, in turn making _me_ want to run.
> ...


Except that doesn't leave them dead.


----------



## ShyFX (Mar 6, 2006)

I'm afraid of some bugs, not all. Its bad when when I look at it and dont know WTF it is. 

I cant step on them either if I see one inside. I usually try to trap them somehow and let them go outside. Or at least trap them so I know where it is until I figure out what to do. Luckily, I live in a new building and I have yet to see a bug in my place since I moved in last year.


----------



## Bad Religion (Dec 14, 2006)

Yes. I hate them all.


----------



## HoboQueen (Jan 25, 2008)

Drella said:


> I'm not afraid of insects, they're just unclean and gross me out. I'm afraid when I see roaches, because I fear that I'll step on them and there are few things that disgust me more than that. _Especially_ barefoot. I stepped barefoot onto a roach many years ago, and I immediately began shaking my foot feverishly during a bout of dry-heaving. They're disgusting.


Stepping on a roach is one of my biggest fears. If it ever actually happened to me I probably wouldn't handle it as graciously as you did. :afr

Anyway, I only have a problem with bugs if they are in the house. Outside they can do whatever. But don't invade _my_ territory.


----------



## Mc Borg (Jan 4, 2008)

Nope, bugs are cool...


----------



## Untergang (May 19, 2008)

When they're outdoors and not on me, no. With the exception of spiders, I hate anything indoors though.


----------



## Tungsten (Dec 11, 2005)

I think it's funny that no matter how much progress humans make, 2000 years from now people are still going to be freaking out from seeing a spider on their bedroom ceiling.

Spiders are cool. They're solitary critters. They hang out by themselves and mostly mind their own business. It's the social insects that we should worry about... the ants, roaches, ect. If you see one of them inside your house then you can be justified in freaking out because where there's one you know there are a whole bunch of it's friends hiding out somewhere.


----------



## Polar (Dec 16, 2006)

I find them more annoying than scary, really.

Spiders can creep me out sometimes though. And I really hate horseflies and ticks.


----------



## venusfruit (May 9, 2008)

Tungsten said:


> I think it's funny that no matter how much progress humans make, 2000 years from now people are still going to be freaking out from seeing a spider on their bedroom ceiling.
> 
> Spiders are cool. They're solitary critters. They hang out by themselves and mostly mind their own business. It's the social insects that we should worry about... the ants, roaches, ect. If you see one of them inside your house then you can be justified in freaking out because where there's one you know there are a whole bunch of it's friends hiding out somewhere.


 :ditto


----------



## Kelly (Dec 12, 2003)

I voted "no." I usually just let bugs outside instead of killing them. I did see a giant spider in my living room a few weeks ago and I just smooshed the hell out of that thing. I still voted "no" though, because spiders aren't bugs.

Have a nice day,
Kelly


----------



## leppardess (Nov 8, 2003)

The only insects that bother me are the ones that sting.


----------



## Zephyr (Nov 8, 2003)

Not nearly as much as I'm afraid of humans.


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

I used to have a major phobia of wasps/hornets/bees as a kid, but fear isn't the sensation now (now it's just severe annoyance). I always liked all other "bugs" (assuming we're using the layman's meaning of "bug" rather than true bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera ). I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.

So I'd say "no."


----------



## bling (Jan 27, 2008)

Some years ago, we bought a house that had been empty for years. There was an old shed, that we opened and hundreds of black coal spiders came running out. My husband and i, are not keen on spiders, and we were bashing them with brooms etc. It is funny though, i would freak out with one on the carpet at home, but we were so taken by surprise we didn't have time to be scared, we just had to deal with them.


----------



## quietgal (Oct 18, 2007)

Yes, I'm terrified of them. I'm usually a very calm and mellow person, but I scream hysterically and jump every time I see one in the house. Especially ones with long legs where I can see the legs. 

Ladybugs and butterflies are okay.


----------



## tainted_ (Feb 20, 2008)

I am very scared of bugs mainly spiders and crickets/grasshoppers (They jump so far so fast!)... The funny thing is with crickets and grass hoppers is that when I was little I actually used to catch them with my hands on purpose and play with them. Now just seeing one makes me feel like I could faint.


----------



## Zephyr (Nov 8, 2003)

ardrum said:


> I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.


Ooh, where'd you get it?


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

Zephyr said:


> ardrum said:
> 
> 
> > I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.
> ...


Haha, I ordered it online because I wanted a specific species. The seller is out of business now though. 

It was fun opening the "fragile" DHL box though and introducing it to its new home.


----------



## venusfruit (May 9, 2008)

ardrum said:


> I used to have a major phobia of wasps/hornets/bees as a kid, but fear isn't the sensation now (now it's just severe annoyance). I always liked all other "bugs" (assuming we're using the layman's meaning of "bug" rather than true bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera ). I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.
> 
> So I'd say "no."


You had a pet tarantula? I always considered have a tarantula as a pet, but I think I might be too afraid to pick it up! They're very interesting


----------



## venusfruit (May 9, 2008)

Zephyr said:


> Not nearly as much as I'm afraid of humans.


 :ditto


----------



## bling (Jan 27, 2008)

I really hate earwigs. They are hard to kill. I catch daddy long legs in my hands and throw them out, as son is scared of them. They make me laugh, all gangly.


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

venusfruit said:


> ardrum said:
> 
> 
> > I used to have a major phobia of wasps/hornets/bees as a kid, but fear isn't the sensation now (now it's just severe annoyance). I always liked all other "bugs" (assuming we're using the layman's meaning of "bug" rather than true bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera ). I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.
> ...


Well, I never picked it up, but it was very "tame." I was more paranoid about its urticating hairs (causing itchiness on your skin) than taking a bite. I never had any issue with either hairs or fangs though. :lol

African/Asian tarantulas don't have the urticating hair issue (mine was South American), but they tend to be a LOT more aggressive...not very good for handling and more for "experts." Their bites are also usually more severe.

I liked my Brachypelma albopilosum. It was a male though, and they don't live very long once mature.


----------



## venusfruit (May 9, 2008)

Thanks for the response, Adam. A few pet stores in my area sell tarantulas. Some owners say their pet tarantula is friendly and likes to be held and carried around. That's cute


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

bling said:


> I really hate earwigs. They are hard to kill. I catch daddy long legs in my hands and throw them out, as son is scared of them. They make me laugh, all gangly.


They are pretty funny. They're harmless as well (to people). I like to watch them run around. They remind me of some sort of tiny robot with those long appendages.


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

venusfruit said:


> Thanks for the response, Adam. A few pet stores in my area sell tarantulas. Some owners say their pet tarantula is friendly and likes to be held and carried around. That's cute


Hehe, I don't know how accurate it would be to say they "like" it, but some don't seem to act too threatened at least. I've always read though that it can still be stressful for a tarantula, even if it doesn't react by running or biting. I wanted to give it a very natural environment to keep it chilled out. :lol

Also, if you plan to handle, it's best to be careful not to be standing or in any sort of position that might risk it falling. They are very fragile, and even a short fall (foot or two) can be fatal (possible exceptions in the tarantulas that are naturally found in up high environments like trees, spinning big webs).

I just didn't want to fool with all of that, so I never attempted to handle my ground dweller.


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

im afraid of centipedes, they rule my basement and they freak me out!


----------



## anonymid (Oct 16, 2005)

I'm very afraid of most bugs. We've had a lot of ants in the house the last few days, and it's starting to stress me out a bit, even though they don't scare me as much as other bugs do. My standard procedure when I see one has been to catch it in a napkin, squish it, and flush it down the toilet, but I just saw one that must be some kind of mutant ant or something. It's huge--too big for my squeamish self to simply catch and dispose of. So I trapped it on the floor under a paper cup, and I'm just going to wait for a less-squeamish family member (most likely my mom) to deal with it in the morning. I'm sure I'll be asked about it when I get up tomorrow, and that will be awkward, but I'd rather deal with that than with this monster ant.


----------



## anonymid (Oct 16, 2005)

Tungsten said:


> Spiders are cool. They're solitary critters. They hang out by themselves and mostly mind their own business. It's the social insects that we should worry about... the ants, roaches, ect. If you see one of them inside your house then you can be justified in freaking out because where there's one you know there are a whole bunch of it's friends hiding out somewhere.


I pretty much agree with you about spiders, though I'll stop just short of calling them "cool." I usually don't mind them unless they're really huge and freaky looking.

And you're right on about the social insects. I hate how each time I catch and kill an ant, I'm left knowing I'm probably going to see another one soon--I just don't know exactly where or when. I can't relax; I'm always nervously on the lookout for the next one. And every time I have the slightest itch, it feels like it's an ant crawling on me.

I've been very lucky to have lived a virtually cockroach-free life. I've only had once encounter with one ever, and I was lucky enough to have a friend with me who killed it (and cleaned up the mess) while I fled and cowered in the next room. I did have a hard time going to sleep that night.


----------



## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

I said yes because I'm afraid of certain ones...wasps, bees, grasshoppers, crickets, etc... some I'm not exactly "afraid of" but I think all bugs are ugly and nasty and I jump and scream if one gets on/near me :b


----------



## spinal97 (May 11, 2008)

Not really. I don't mind dlittle bugs and I love spiders. There are some bugs I find annoying like ones that fly. But, if the bug is absolutely humungous I'll keep my distance, but we don't have a lot of those here.


----------



## javasirc (Jan 27, 2008)

Im not afraid of bugs in general, they just annoy me when they fly around my face. The only ones im scared of are spiders and centipedes. Basicly anything with more than 4 legs that dont have a shell on its back. I love daddy-long-leggers and lady-bugs tho. And butterflies.


----------



## Vincenzo (Sep 24, 2005)

Giant moths are the worst, I can't shake the fear that they are going to somehow fly into my mouth. They're also doubly annoying because their size means killing them would be too much like killing a 'real animal' so I feel I have to catch them and let them out.

Also, snails are the worst things to accidentally step on, walking down the street and hearing that crunch simultaneously disgusts me and makes me feel like kind of a dick.


----------



## Cheesecake (Feb 2, 2007)

I'm probably afraid of a lot them, especially spiders. But I still take them out when I see one in my house. The worse things that make it in are spiders, so it's not too tough taking them out.


----------



## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

ardrum said:


> I used to have a major phobia of wasps/hornets/bees as a kid, but fear isn't the sensation now (now it's just severe annoyance). I always liked all other "bugs" (assuming we're using the layman's meaning of "bug" rather than true bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera ). I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.
> 
> So I'd say "no."


BUUUUUUUUG!!


----------



## seanybhoy (Mar 2, 2008)

I would'nt say i was afraid of them more pissed off i guess when they invade my personal space.
Besides i got dumped with my brothers Gecko and tarantula when he passed away so i have to feed them waxworms and crickets and **** like that although i was kinda freaked out by the spider at first it aint so bad now it's just like a 8 legged hamster or some****.


----------



## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

No, I've even kept bugs(not true bugs) and other invertebrates as pets. Was planning on keeping assassin bugs, before I decided to keep fish instead. Assasin bugs would have been a much wiser choice financially(fish are a real money trap  ). The only inverts I keep now are european nightcrawlers, which I feed to my fish and use for composting.

I don't like ticks. I'm not sure if I would say I'm afraid of them or not. After getting some on me a few times, I now avoid going off trail when I'm in the south. Thankfully there aren't many, if any, ticks in eastern Michigan.


----------



## vicente (Nov 10, 2003)

I'm terribly afraid of all types of bugs.


(for the scientifically inclined, everything that is an arthropod is a bug to me, including crustaceans like lobsters, shrimp, and crabs).

I'm also afraid of worms and anything that looks like baby bugs like caterpillars and maggots.


----------



## venusfruit (May 9, 2008)

I forgot about ticks. Those things are disgusting. I saw a big one the last time I took a walk in the park. It must have just dropped off its last host after it had its 'meal' ugh.


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

yeah_yeah_yeah said:


> ardrum said:
> 
> 
> > I used to have a major phobia of wasps/hornets/bees as a kid, but fear isn't the sensation now (now it's just severe annoyance). I always liked all other "bugs" (assuming we're using the layman's meaning of "bug" rather than true bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera ). I had a pet tarantula recently, and I might consider getting another someday.
> ...


 :afr :lol


----------



## tainted_ (Feb 20, 2008)

They sell these bird eating spiders in a lot of pet shops where I live and my bf decided he might like one (even though he is terrifed of spiders) and we went in to look at them and the girl working at the shop was sticking a pen in the tank to show how it attacked the pen...I felt sick watching it. She also said you wouldn't want to touch it because it will make you sick if it bites you... what a great pet


----------



## ardrum (May 13, 2007)

tainted_ said:


> They sell these bird eating spiders in a lot of pet shops where I live and my bf decided he might like one (even though he is terrifed of spiders) and we went in to look at them and the girl working at the shop was sticking a pen in the tank to show how it attacked the pen...I felt sick watching it. She also said you wouldn't want to touch it because it will make you sick if it bites you... what a great pet


That's not a tarantula for beginners! My brother has one, and it's arguably the largest spider species in the world! They can get as large as a dinner plate!

Not only can they be aggressive, but they also kick up urticating hairs from their body that can penetrate your skin and cause severe itchiness (not dangerous, but annoying).


----------



## Zephyr (Nov 8, 2003)

I wish they had interesting stuff like that here.


----------

