We arrived back at the house after a brief outing for fresh air (the first winter cold had been doing its rounds and we needed to clear our heads) and Todd immediately spotted a sizeable house spider making its way under the radiator in the front room. Quick as a flash i pounced and captured the amiable arachnid. Fear of spiders is mainly learned - no doubt we all have an inbuilt instinct to shy away in the first instance; probably stemming from the time of early humans when playing with creepy crawlies in hotter countries could result in a venomous bite and possibly even death (more evidence of our African origins?). Maybe it is just a natural feature of humans to shy away from animals with a physical form so different to their own.
Spiders look alien, yes, but they are also essential to the food chain. Without them the world would be over run by insects and most of them are not half as scary or dangerous as people make out. What exactly can a house spider do to anyone? Nothing but produce irrational fear is the answer. When i was a child my parents both reacted in a fearful fashion around spiders - my dad more than my mum. The natural instinct towards avoiding creatures that look and move like spiders was fortified by this behaviour and my brother and I were very uncomfortable around them.
As an adult i have worked to remove this irrational fear and have largely mastered it. If i see a house spider then i am more than happy to pick it up with my bare hands - even a really big one with legs that stretch right across a palm.
Understanding that the original fear was learned i always grab an opportunity (and a spider!) to teach the kids that, just like all other animals, they are fascinating and amazing. So with the boys naming him 'Teddy' we ventured into the bathroom and spent 10 mins watching him run about the bath - getting photos in the process. Initially apprehensive my eldest child, Todd, was soon letting him walk all over his hands; picking him up and generally seeing all that was good about him. I didn't let Leo have too much contact because, at only 2 years old, he would have squashed him accidentally. He was happy to observe the interaction.
You will notice that i have referred to this spider as 'he'- how do i know this? Autumn in the UK is mating season for the common house spider and the males become very amorous. This is why you see lots more house spiders during September and October - the males are actively seeking mates. Also, as is the case with most spider species, the males have longer legs but a smaller cephalothorax (head fused with thorax unlike in insects) and abdomen (lower body). This was a big male, no doubt about that, but he wouldn't be as heavy as a female the same age.
When you get close to this species you realise that they are not just a drab brown, hairy spider. There are patterns on the abdomen - quite pretty patterns.
We interacted with him for a while and then all waved goodbye as i released him in the garden (mum would not have been a big fan of me putting him back in the house!). Whilst mum doesn't like spiders, in fact when i met her she really disliked them, she has worked very hard to master her fear. I helped her by giving spiders names when we found them in the house. Now she tries really hard not to jump or say negative things about them because she realises how this can affect Todd and Leo's fear development. Just one more thing that makes her a wonderful mum and wife.
In this way my children have learned not to fear spiders or other arachnids and insects, but to embrace them - they will never be the child in the playground to run a mile when something like a huge stag beetle turns up. They will embrace nature and in doing so will find something amazing in every day.
In this way my children have learned not to fear spiders or other arachnids and insects, but to embrace them - they will never be the child in the playground to run a mile when something like a huge stag beetle turns up. They will embrace nature and in doing so will find something amazing in every day.
Bye bye Teddy, we will all miss you, but good luck finding a mate and thanks for keeping the insect population sensible p.s don't eat too many really interesting ones - we want to find and study them first!