My intro Biology lab class was taught by a lady who researched cockroaches. Twice a week, she would bring two huge trash cans (where they lived on egg cartons) into the class and each student had to help him- or herself to some roaches to weigh, measure, dissect, etc. The teacher and the TA reached into the cans with bare hands. I never got past wearing gloves. You can get used to (just about) anything.
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I assume you were working with Blattella germanica, German Cockroach. I lived in many an apartment overrun with those - and, yes, I got used to them. While I haven’t seen those recently, I have recorded, outside, in coastal TX, 4 additional species of roaches, only 1 of which is native.
My especial dislike is the very large so-called flying “American Cockroach” that isn’t native either. My indoor cats, however, like to chase and eat them. Chacun à son goût…
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Yup, B. germanica. My cats also love chasing and dismembering roaches (of any species). Just goes to show, cats can be useful for pest control even in the absence of mice.
I have to admit, I have a hard time appreciating Grackles since they run everything but the Doves away from the feeder.
Spiders I can manage up to the size of a nickel unless they are furry or dart - I know with all my being anything outside those parameters wants to crawl on me and I am not having it.
Zero appreciation for mosquitos, as best I can tell, their only use is to feed bats (which I like just fine).
Cockroaches and ticks are relative - outdoors and not on me, we’re okay.
Oh, and crab grass. It destroys everything (green) in it’s reach. Hate it.
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That is like the line I use. Instead of saying I hate anything I will say I haven’t learned to appreciate it.
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I have only encountered them once, and it was amazing to see them attached to one of North America’s most toxic animals.
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For me, I only found out the animal I encountered was a leech when I posted an observation of it to iNaturalist. At the time I’d been walking along a cycling path in flip flops looking for stranded ‘refugees’ after a heavy rain had caused the water level of the nearby river to rise and then fall.
I’ve also found the small flies that buzz around me in forested areas to be a nuisance and thus hard to appreciate.
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How tiny! Of course it’s large compared to its victim. The ones I’ve personally encountered were much larger (of course, I was smaller, it was in a lake at summer camp).
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Ah! Think about those unluky people who accidentally made a close contact with Dendrocnide moroides. I am pretty sure that they unlikely will love it anymore!
I know I’m alone with loving the wacky grackies but they provide endless entertainment as they catch up to me trying to outsmart them with upside down suet feeders (figured that out in a hot minute and better than the RWBB and B. orioles). They do cost a lot more in the suet budget and drive the paridae and other birds nuts but the antics make me smile and I don’t see many cats, house sparrows around when 7 grackles are vying for the feeders or terrorizing the land by the swamp (at my place). Their pretty iridescence, neat-looking juvenile and adult eyes, abundance of confidence…I dunno, I think they are almost cute. Additionally, I’d rather listen to their chaotic chorus than endless chainsaws, riding mowers, beauty-less explosives, ATVs, neighbors’ screaming annoying children (can I feed them to Grackles?)
I’m adding another species to my hard-to-love list: fungus gnats when in my houseplants!!! Brown marmorated stink bugs, also… chipmunks when I’m driving, when they are doing nonsense in my garden, outsmarting me at the bird feeders, being a full-time tick spreading machine. Otherwise, what’s not to love?
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I will admit I was laughing heartily as I watched the Grackles chasing a gray squirrel across the farm yard! But I get more amusement out of the Blue Jays trying to nonchalantly sneak into the feeder when the Grackles aren’t looking (or are at least on the other side of the feeder) than I do out of the Grackles chasing the Jays. It’s more frustrating that we had a lot of new visitors, from a nuthatch to buntings this 6ear and all but the Rose-breasted Grosbeak were very brief because of the flock of Grackles :/
They definitely are pretty, tho! 
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I have an irrational fear of June bugs. There are so many of them flying around clumsily at night and they will fly straight into my head or my hair. I like seeing them during the day, but at night when I hear them, I shudder. Also hate ticks and chiggers.
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At a Grapevine, TX beginning iNat get together to observe macro-invertebrates at Big Bear Creek, a young girl found one attached to her flip flops. Maybe flip flops attract them. :)
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I guess I’m lucky, they haven’t found my feeders. I do like the fact they aren’t skittish and you can get great photos of them. Most birds fly off when they notice me within 20-30 feet. Grackles will almost let you reach out and pose them. :)
While it was annoying when a hawk posted up on our patio, especially after flying off before I could get my phone, scaring off (and eating some I’m sure) the platoon of chickadees from our feeders. It has increased the variety of birds that have been visiting our feeders.
I recently came across a giant huntsman spider in our house. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48766-Heteropoda (warning: spider photos!)
Don’t get me wrong, I love spiders and the ecological role they play, but this invasive (Of course, it’s Florida) 5 inch long spider was definitely not a welcome sight inside our house.
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I shouldn’t have looked
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My fault! I shouldn’t have added the link! Maybe I should add a warning that this is an extra creepy spider.
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pretty sure “giant huntsmen spider” says all you need to know…I knew better
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I’m pretty sure I would die if I found one of those in my house. It was a near-miss when I witnessed a Carolina Wolf Spider of nearly 2" running around outside my house.
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