Not really phobic but I did think they were gross- dead animals and moldy food. Dead animals- both the deceased individual as well as the potential for flies and carrion beetles (carrion beetle larva are kind of cute). I do appreciate mosquitos more now, too, even if I still usually squish them after they bite me haha.
I always liked wasps but I never realized how mellow paper wasps are- they won’t go after me even when I’ve got my macro lense less than half an inch away.
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I have become less phobic of spiders through using iNaturalist. Although I am less afraid of spiders, I have developed a fear of spiders being in lots of places that I am not aware of. I think this has happened as a result of me becoming more aware of the abundance and diversity of spiders where I live.
For me it’s not less phobic yet more aware of the abundance of insects, spiders and all living creatures around us. Also, the need for them to remain here despite the cruelties of pollution, including air, light and sound that disturbs their natural behaviors in the rhythm of life.
Being fond of lightning bugs (I’m originally from the Midwest) or fireflies as others call them, I make sure that outside lights remain off at night during the time if their emergence and they have been for awhile now. In the process of attracting more lightning bugs to our yard, we established areas of moss lawn, native taller grasses along with not having the lawn we have left to be kept at a manicured height. Several years ago, I purchased Firefly Magic and now have 14 solar powered “fireflies” that seem to have attracted more fireflies to our yard.
Spiders and snakes never bothered me, having been in charge of a college boa constrictor for awhile, long, long time ago…. and now find my favorite spiders are jumping spiders! I just didn’t like the one time I was walking with a friend on our h.s.grounds and I stopped because I heard I hiss/rattle and jumped straight up and away! I was much younger and limber then! ; )
Now, walking head first into a large spider web, and while frantically trying to get the webbing off your face, you wonder where the spider is so you can post it to iNat. Previously, I would only have hoped the spider wasn’t in my hair! Yep, iNat has changed me, and my family noticed the change as they now nonchalantly tell confused friends and spectators that “she’s only getting a picture of a ‘bug’ again.”
iNat definitely has done something to me and I know it’s for the better!
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