Creepy Crawlies Exterminator WA - Why do so many people fear spiders and other rodents?
You are likely to find many people who dislike spiders, rodents, or both in your circle of friends, family, and acquaintances. Many people react with a variety of emotions when confronted with something like a sewer rat or wild tarantula. These reactions can range from complete terror to panic and disgust. Why is this so common?
Throughout human history, a strained relationship has existed
Let's just be clear: rodents have not always been best friends with humans throughout our time together on this planet. Humans have faced pest control issues in the past due to rats and mice eating food and crops that had been stored for a long time. The rodent pest of choice has been rats. For centuries, rats were blamed for spreading bubonic plague. This disease decimated millions of Europeans in Europe during Middle Ages. However, emerging research suggests human parasites like lice and fleas might be the real culprits.
Some scientists believe that spider fear is a result of genetic factors. A study that compared infants' reactions with images of snakes and flowers to pictures of fish and spiders supports this theory. The babies responded to spider and snake images with a stronger "fight or flight", than those of fish and flowers. These reactions could be a sign that spiders were feared by our human ancestors, who suffered from painful and sometimes fatal bites. This trait has been passed on to many generations over thousands of years.
It all started in my childhood...
Many fears and phobias are rooted in childhood trauma. This traumatic event can have a lasting effect that can lead to anxiety or fearful behavior when it occurs again. If you have ever been bitten by a spider or witnessed someone suffering from the effects of it, this could be enough to trigger arachnophobia. This is one of the most common childhood fears.
Some phobias may also be related to others. Mysophobia, which is 13.2% common in the US, can lead to fear of germs. For example, people who fear mysophobia (the fear of germs) may fear rats and mice because of the diseases they can transmit.
Attack of the Killer: Popular Culture Reinforces Phobias
"Charlotte's Web", "Ratatouille" are two examples of mainstream entertainment stories that portray spiders and rodents as not being as helpful and friendly. These rodents have been known to inhabit haunted houses and crypts, and they have also been familiars to some strange and dangerous characters ("Willard"). Some of these creatures have been "supersized" to become evil-doing monsters like the giant spiders from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and the Harry Potter series. These depictions reinforce the notion that spiders and rodents are to be feared.
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