I taught my kids early and often that spiders are friends, aside from a few dangerous ones we don't really encounter here. Mosquitos are scarier than spiders. One of my kids is still terrified of spiders though 😭

I'm usually arachnophobic, but once I had an orb weaver decide to live on the back of my work truck. Freaked me out at first, but I let it be. It would come out of it's hiding spot at night to make its web across the truck, and I would watch it clean up in the morning before I left. Almost got it on my face a few times while doing overnight work. It stayed with me all summer, I could always find it hidden under a door seal or up on the ladder rack, tucked away.

It was nice almost having a pet. Then, one morning, I get ready to leave for work. The web was still up, tattered, and spider bro was nowhere to be seen...

As a borderline arachnophobe, I've had the privilege of hosting a gorgeous orb weaver in a really awesome spot for this season. She's got a massive space, where lots of flies come, and it's in a social area outdoors, but the location is perfectly situated for viewing from a distance so it doesn't trigger anything for me.

She has her mate, she's healthy as hell, and I'm actually dreading the day she passes because it's become a bit of a ritual daily interaction with her.

One of my coworkers said she was trying to catch some ants to try to nurse a spider in her house back to good health. Absolutely insane behavior.

I kept wokf spiders in my place. They take care of ants, prevent roaches, and get rid of the other spiders that are dangeous. No help with mice, though.

I fucking love spiders, they’re awesome

Someone here mentioned a while ago that some house spiders learn your active hours and typically come out to hunt when you're either not around or asleep.

I usually ignore them because I'd much rather deal with occasional corner cobwebs than literally any other pest hanging around.

Spiders are the only thing not interested in my food.

Had an ongoing battle of wills with a very large spider. It kept getting stuck in the sink and I kept moving it back out. Tried to convince it that there was better prey outside in the patio corner but it seemed to disagree. It finally disappeared. I don't love spiders but I don't love annoying bugs any better so I'm happy for the spiders to catch and eat their fill.

Personally, and idk if there's a phobia for this, I really don't like things that are small and fast. If I can't keep track of something it makes me uncomfortable. So spiders are an ick for me.

We have huntsman spiders in Australia, they make great house pets. It’s a little game everyday to see what wall/corner they have moved to and they keep other bugs away.

They also eat mice and lizards and can drag them up the walls.

I draw the line at black widows, like the ones outside my sibling’s house.

They are not friend shaped.

Spiders are my favourite critters :D

Well, they are not really the same, are they? One is cute, small, furry and graceful. And the other one's a cat.

spiders are fine as long as they arent venomous, and Estonia doesn't have venomous spiders in the wild

Also, both will absolutely bite you, randomly. And climb on random things.

If a spider was you sized it wouldn't hesitate

We have a family of spiders in the bathroom that have survived a few generations now. Spiders are friends!

i'm still waiting for the domestic jumping spiders smh, i want a rat-sized pet jumping spider that can ride on my shoulder and lean into scritches.

Can we really say spiders domesticated themselves when we were the ones to come live in their habitats (caves)? What are houses but a recreation of caves we used to call home?

ok but also valid me and the spiders have a rule. they stay outside and keep the perimeter clear and i dont freak out T_T

though as much as i'm terrified of spiders they'll always end up with me getting the biggest cup you can find, sliding a paper under it, and screaming all the way to the window.

I always feel bad when I have to remove spiders from the house. I try to be gentle, and I do hope that they stick around outside. There's more for them out there anyway.

Spider are cool outside but not inside.

We tend to leave spiders alone in the house, they don’t really bother anything and keep other bugs at bay. The exception is when I need to work somewhere they built webs, then the webs gotta go and for that I use the shop vac.

For the centipedes though we have an agreement, they can stay as long as we don’t see them. You start scurrying across the kitchen floor and I will step on you (though to be fair I think that’s true for anything that “scurries” in the same way a centipede does).

ITT: Orb Weavers seemingly help to reduce arachnophobia? Chill little dudes, just trying to get by like the rest of us

One of my favs pest eradicators:

Nobody cares, but the four fingers angers me.

I have black widows all over my house, they are welcome here. You are not.

There's one right by the front door, waiting for you. They are very patient and well-behaved companions.