When there is a spider or wasp/bee near me I scream and run. Don't help when I am gardening :/ Is it me or does anyone else have this same problem? Moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
Breath deep! and ignore the critter. I really don't like them to be on me, but no..no scream and run here. I don't have time to do that. I keep on working.
I've been known to encourage bees onto my hands when I find them stunned after hitting windows. I don't mind spiders and, if found in the house, they are picked up and taken outside. Now wasps are a whole different ball game. I hate them buzzing round my face and freeze when one comes near me, heart pounding and mouth going dry. Someone told me that once you've been stung you won't be afraid of them any more. RUBBISH!! If anything I'm worse now that I was before one jabbed me.
I was stung by a wasp when I was little and it left a scar. And ever since them I do not like them. I had to get Dave to go in the greenhouse to get it out. Then it took me a while to go in the greenhouse in case it came back. I am so soft ha. But I guess it's something I will have put up with if I want to continue with gardening.
There is a place for all those critters and on me, is not one of them. I love them when I see them everywhere else. I find them to be interesting and a joy as long as they remember my rules, and they usually do just fine with them.
Carrianne...breathe deep...again. I will tell you of an experience I had when I was 11. It was a holiday and there was no school that day. We (my brothers and I) went up the road to the creek to go fishing and we ran out of worms. Since there were a few piles of left over straw from a dredging project the state had just done, I went scavenging for worms. As I picked up one pile of straw a nest of bumble bees was disturbed and let me tell you you don't want to disturb a nest of bees. I immediately froze and hunkered down with my hands over my face. When I finally could hear my brothers screaming at me to move... I did, only one of them came to help me and he got stung all over, too. So did our border collie. I think my mom counted 30 stings on my back and neck plus all the ones in my hair. She rushed us to the hospital and they really did nothing for us. Just watched to make sure we didn't have an allergic reaction to them. Sent us home to vomit for 3 days. I quite worrying over getting stung a long time ago, by intentionally calming down and not making any slappy movements towards the bees, eventually realizing they were not going to target me as they were busy just collecting pollen, nectar or a food of some kind. Then I ordered a hive of bees and that has now turned into 17 years worth of keeping bees. try to relax and calm down anytime there is a "scare" next to you. You can do it! and before you know it "it" will be gone. The worst part of that story... My brothers ripped my shirt off and I had to run home naked!
As I work in the garden, any flying and stinging insect automatically sends up a red flag in my brain. Just hearing the buzz sound sends a shiver down my spine. And, having one fly into the car as I'm driving is the stuff of nightmares. As hard as it is, I try not to wig out, but I would be lying if I said it was not a problem for me. You are not alone in your fear CariAnn. I love all spiders though.
The bees and other buzzing insects don't bother me that much. However, I wouldn't want one in the truck while I was driving. The spiders are a different story. I would be screaming if one touched me. I take a very wide path around it when I see one. I was bitten on the lip when I was a kid. Face swelled up on one side the size of a grapefruit. Wasn't an allergic reaction but poison from the spider itself. Just thinking about those little critters gives me the chills!
I used to be terrified of spiders. When I learned how beneficial they are, I lost my fear, but I'm still not in love with them! We have lots of spiders here in Texas, and I've learned to never put my hand where I can't see, and to leave the spiders alone. Bees--we keep them! I love to work in the garden and see our girls working alongside. They are gathering pollen and nectar, and I'm gathering the fruits of our mutual labors. I've been stung a few times, but it was my fault for being silly, not the bee's fault. Wasps, however, are a different question. We have yellowjackets, who nest in trees, on house eaves, and in the barn. I whip out my insecticidal spray and give them what-for! Cari-Ann, you are not alone in your reaction to bees, wasps, and spiders. Follow Carolyn's advice and try to stay as calm as possible. don't flap your arms, and learn to tolerate our winged neighbors. They do a lot more good than harm.
CariAnn, Have you ever been stung by a bee or wasp or did you learn your reaction from your parents like I did with spiders? My mum also hated them and I must have picked up on this... I have no problems with bees or wasps and will help them out if they're banging themselves on a window etc but spiders are a big no-no especially when they come indoors in the Autumn...It took Mark a long time to realise that I can't help my reaction and stopped teasing me.I know they do good work and they're much smaller than me but I'd prefer them to stay outside! If,however I'm working in the garden and have gloves on then I can cope much better with them.
In that case then I can definitely understand your reaction to them.If I had ever been stung then I might be the same.
I have an actual phobia about bugs. It's called entomophobia, and it's very debilitating, particularly because I love to garden. I have no fear of snakes, mice, other living things. I don't mind butterflies, moths or ladybugs. But any kind of bug, spider, beetle, creepy crawly thing freaks me out. I'm not to horribly debilitated if I see one from far away and can have some preparation or lead time to confront it. But if one takes me by surprise I get hysterical and start to cry.....which is particularly disturbing because I am NOT an hysterical person. I am level headed, pragmatic and practical. I don't have fits of the vapors, and I am not dramatic. Typically I'm very down to earth and the calm one in a crisis. But not where bugs are concerned.
My 5yrs old has the same reaction every time he sees a bee anywhere near him. And I know I would react the same if I see a snake/lizard, even if it is not moving. Oh, and I have a fear of flying, height, water too. I have tried many times but I could not learn swimming and I make my husband drive all the way to Key west every fall . Cari, you are much better than me in the phobia department
