I used to be scared of American Cockroaches.
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I used to be scared of American Cockroaches. (Periplaneta americana) and I really thought I'd never get over the extreme gut-level negative reaction I had because even as I learned about many other insects that reaction stayed.
As a small child I saw how adults would scream and run from them. Then when I moved to NYC I was startled by them (which they do on purpose I can prove this*)
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I used to be scared of American Cockroaches. (Periplaneta americana) and I really thought I'd never get over the extreme gut-level negative reaction I had because even as I learned about many other insects that reaction stayed.
As a small child I saw how adults would scream and run from them. Then when I moved to NYC I was startled by them (which they do on purpose I can prove this*)
I don't think anyone should enjoy seeing them (especially when you didn't expect to see them) They are a symptom of poorly managed spaces, bad plumbing, unclean food storage, problems.
What I'm talking about is being *scared* by these little bugs who can't really hurt you directly at all. They can't sting, can't bite in a way that matters to you, and their biggest threat is making things dirty which is bad... but not worthy of having heart palpations and running out of the room.
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I don't think anyone should enjoy seeing them (especially when you didn't expect to see them) They are a symptom of poorly managed spaces, bad plumbing, unclean food storage, problems.
What I'm talking about is being *scared* by these little bugs who can't really hurt you directly at all. They can't sting, can't bite in a way that matters to you, and their biggest threat is making things dirty which is bad... but not worthy of having heart palpations and running out of the room.
But at some point even this fear has gone away. Which is amazing to me as I really didn't think I would ever shake it.
I feel like I can relate to them much more objectively now (importantly) I can help other people to manage and respond to the ecological problems they can represent.
For example WHY are they hanging around the bus stop? It's not to catch the Bx3! It's because the trash can isn't emptied and the drain is warm.
They are tropical insects and can't thrive without people.
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I don't think anyone should enjoy seeing them (especially when you didn't expect to see them) They are a symptom of poorly managed spaces, bad plumbing, unclean food storage, problems.
What I'm talking about is being *scared* by these little bugs who can't really hurt you directly at all. They can't sting, can't bite in a way that matters to you, and their biggest threat is making things dirty which is bad... but not worthy of having heart palpations and running out of the room.
@futurebird certainly not when things like Acanthoplus discoidalis are options
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But at some point even this fear has gone away. Which is amazing to me as I really didn't think I would ever shake it.
I feel like I can relate to them much more objectively now (importantly) I can help other people to manage and respond to the ecological problems they can represent.
For example WHY are they hanging around the bus stop? It's not to catch the Bx3! It's because the trash can isn't emptied and the drain is warm.
They are tropical insects and can't thrive without people.
If you have a fear and think "I'll never get over this. It's just how it is" that may not be true.
Learning more about what you fear, looking at it more closely, understanding it helps. It's not instant. Since I had learned all the facts but still felt scared I thought that I'd never get over it, but my brain just needed time to adapt. To have experiences where I freaked out less when seeing one, and observed instead.
And then over years the fear vanished.
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F myrmepropagandist shared this topic
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If you have a fear and think "I'll never get over this. It's just how it is" that may not be true.
Learning more about what you fear, looking at it more closely, understanding it helps. It's not instant. Since I had learned all the facts but still felt scared I thought that I'd never get over it, but my brain just needed time to adapt. To have experiences where I freaked out less when seeing one, and observed instead.
And then over years the fear vanished.
So if you are scared of insects it's IN PART something you are choosing to continue to do.
The next time you see the bug that freaks you out it's an opportunity to gain back some of your dignity and become better able to meet the natural world.
Take it!
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@futurebird certainly not when things like Acanthoplus discoidalis are options
OK that is too large however there is rational caution and there is freaking out and I'm talking about the later.
You don't need to hug it. Just give it the level of caution it is due and no more.
eg. if you see a roach in a restaurant it's fine IMO to be put off eating by that. But climbing up on a chair and crying? not so much.
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So if you are scared of insects it's IN PART something you are choosing to continue to do.
The next time you see the bug that freaks you out it's an opportunity to gain back some of your dignity and become better able to meet the natural world.
Take it!
@futurebird I feel this way about people's reactions to spiders.
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So if you are scared of insects it's IN PART something you are choosing to continue to do.
The next time you see the bug that freaks you out it's an opportunity to gain back some of your dignity and become better able to meet the natural world.
Take it!
And just because you did it once and still feel scared doesn't mean it won't work. It's a little journey.
And you will set a better example for young people by not freaking out and teaching them to observe and manage the environments they will need to manage as they grow older.
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@futurebird I feel this way about people's reactions to spiders.
I got over my fear of spiders much faster, but then my parents never freaked out much about spiders.
I really think that observing adults reacting to animals has a massive impact on young people and I have an aunt who has basically a paralyzing phobia of roaches. And I learned that even though I generally like bugs!
She won't even THINK about considering getting over it which annoys me.
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I used to be scared of American Cockroaches. (Periplaneta americana) and I really thought I'd never get over the extreme gut-level negative reaction I had because even as I learned about many other insects that reaction stayed.
As a small child I saw how adults would scream and run from them. Then when I moved to NYC I was startled by them (which they do on purpose I can prove this*)
I have a phobia of German Cockroaches (I've always lived in the USA) and I know it's a subconscious thing caused by the level of poverty I grew up in.
Everyone in my neighborhood had roaches and we were all poor and gross. Not gross on purpose obviously but the adults were all depressed trying their best to raise kids on way too little money plus never having the time or energy to clean. You inevitably lose to the ever encroach wave of clutter, litter, and roaches.
Poverty doesn't build character. But I remember those days and I would be lying if it wasn't a motivation for me as much in my career as it is my politics.
I no longer have roaches. My parents neither. We're all in a better place. However, No one should be so overwhelmed that they have roaches.
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I got over my fear of spiders much faster, but then my parents never freaked out much about spiders.
I really think that observing adults reacting to animals has a massive impact on young people and I have an aunt who has basically a paralyzing phobia of roaches. And I learned that even though I generally like bugs!
She won't even THINK about considering getting over it which annoys me.
To be fair to my aunt she grew up up north where seeing a roach inside generally means you have messed up big time on house cleaning. But she moved to TX where it's not realistic to NEVER EVER see one.
So, I think it gave her something of a crisis. Also looking back she did everything WRONG to get rid of them.
Well the cleaning was a good idea, but spraying everything just ensured that only one kind of bug survived and it was the one she hated the most.
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I don't think anyone should enjoy seeing them (especially when you didn't expect to see them) They are a symptom of poorly managed spaces, bad plumbing, unclean food storage, problems.
What I'm talking about is being *scared* by these little bugs who can't really hurt you directly at all. They can't sting, can't bite in a way that matters to you, and their biggest threat is making things dirty which is bad... but not worthy of having heart palpations and running out of the room.
@futurebird our eight year old has zero fear of them. Since we’re not in a city, minimal association with “unclean”. She’ll look for them in leaf litter and pick them up to friends.
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I have a phobia of German Cockroaches (I've always lived in the USA) and I know it's a subconscious thing caused by the level of poverty I grew up in.
Everyone in my neighborhood had roaches and we were all poor and gross. Not gross on purpose obviously but the adults were all depressed trying their best to raise kids on way too little money plus never having the time or energy to clean. You inevitably lose to the ever encroach wave of clutter, litter, and roaches.
Poverty doesn't build character. But I remember those days and I would be lying if it wasn't a motivation for me as much in my career as it is my politics.
I no longer have roaches. My parents neither. We're all in a better place. However, No one should be so overwhelmed that they have roaches.
I think it's fine to be overwhelmed that you have to see them. I'm just talking about it being a paralyzing physical fear thing.
I've had students who would *cry* because there was a bee in the classroom.
In temperate zones I think roaches can be managed but many products sold to people do not help and not understanding how they live makes people focus on the wrong things.
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@futurebird our eight year old has zero fear of them. Since we’re not in a city, minimal association with “unclean”. She’ll look for them in leaf litter and pick them up to friends.
I'd be on that kid to wash their hands, but then I'm on kids to wash their hands all of the time so IDK if she'd pick up on why. LOL.
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I'd be on that kid to wash their hands, but then I'm on kids to wash their hands all of the time so IDK if she'd pick up on why. LOL.
@futurebird yes, but just cause she’s digging in the leaf litter, not because of the bug
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@futurebird yes, but just cause she’s digging in the leaf litter, not because of the bug
If she's digging in leaf litter THAT much have you checked if she's maybe an isopod?
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So if you are scared of insects it's IN PART something you are choosing to continue to do.
The next time you see the bug that freaks you out it's an opportunity to gain back some of your dignity and become better able to meet the natural world.
Take it!
I think our fears can sometimes be sources of comfort in a strange way. And one can be scared of NOT being afraid if that makes any sense.
"If I'm not terrified of them will I end up just covered in them all the time, living in a house that's like a subway stop at 3am in the middle of summer?"
The opposite is true. If you want to have control over the ecosystems you live in (and yes human built spaces are ecosystems) you need to understand them, and fear just makes you less able to do this!
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So if you are scared of insects it's IN PART something you are choosing to continue to do.
The next time you see the bug that freaks you out it's an opportunity to gain back some of your dignity and become better able to meet the natural world.
Take it!
@futurebird I was swarmed by yellow jackets when I was young and was left paralyzed whenever a bee showed up. It took decades to get over it. It was mostly getting my limbic system to learn that buzzing was not by itself a mortal threat. That buzzing is a horsefly. That buzzing is A HUGE MUTANT BEE - oh, no, it's a hummingbird. That buzzing IS a yellow jacket, but it wants my sweet beverage, not me. The poor ordinary honey bee never deserved my terror. Anyway, I'm glad to be free of it.
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I think our fears can sometimes be sources of comfort in a strange way. And one can be scared of NOT being afraid if that makes any sense.
"If I'm not terrified of them will I end up just covered in them all the time, living in a house that's like a subway stop at 3am in the middle of summer?"
The opposite is true. If you want to have control over the ecosystems you live in (and yes human built spaces are ecosystems) you need to understand them, and fear just makes you less able to do this!
@futurebird Agree with (and honestly love) all of this, but a cockroach flew at me once when I was a kid and I didn't know they could do that and I've been traumatized ever since!
While I'm not "scared" of them anymore, I definitely do not like seeing them (in the north nor the south), but I'm going to take this to heart.
