Why do people have this aversion to bugs (and amphibians and reptiles)? Generally they are not going to hurt you and if you just let them be, they will not bother you too. Yet, it seems that a dislike for these creatures is widespread, from girls who squeal and hide to guys who rush off in a different direction. Reactions and distaste can range from just avoiding them as much as possible to chasing after them in an attempt to kill them. But for me, it’s a completely different story.
I know that my own fascination for them stems from my upbringing in the plains of Kansas and interactions with a lot of boys. When you grow up without being taught to fear or even dislike those critters, but rather play with them and use them as your personal scientific discoveries, it’s hard to want to run from them or kill them. I remember days on the playground spent thinking of the best ways to catch the grasshoppers that would jump so far, the butterflies that flitted around so high, the praying mantises that would blend into the grass, the spiders that would scuttle so quickly, or the worms that would squirm away into the ground. I was always so interesting to see all that they could do, from jumping long distances to flying great heights to doing crazy disappearing acts.
Sometimes in my explorations I would accidentally kill the creatures, but eventually I learned how to take care of them and keep them alive. I even developed a theory that praying mantises will go blind in captivity after one that I was playing with at home developed black eyes that were blind. I learned how to test he it was blind by slowly moving my finger or a blade of grass towards him. When he didn’t react as he had done previously, I was quite certain he could not see. Saddened by this, I took him outside and let him back into the grass, following him around as he moved slowly along the ground. I don’t know how long this lasted, but at some point, his eyes became clear again! Then when I tried to get too close, he then scrambled off, probably cursing me in his head, if he’s capable of that. Look at how educational it can be!
However, there are some bugs that I don’t like either, mostly mosquitoes. I find them interesting nonetheless, but ultimately annoying with their buzzing and affinity for my blood. I get a morbid sense of pleasure when I hear them zap in those blue light things that you turn on at night to kill them off. Yet even with that, I can’t help but be curious about why they make that sound, why they are attracted to the light so much, if it hurts, etc. Learning about other forms of life make you question all kinds of things about life! It can be an educational experience if you question all the whys and hows.
These experiences and preferences can work for me in a good or bad sense. Good in that I am not afraid of them, so I can come in quite useful in getting them out of a room or away from an area, but bad in that I usually don’t want to and can’t kill them, much to my friends’ dismay. Don’t you find it fascinating that this thing can fly? Or make silk strands so strong they are virtually indestructible? Or climb walls or hang around upside down? Personally, this intrigues me beyond normal curiosity and it gives me a great deal of respect for them. I think they’re rather cool.
Why look for aliens when you’ve got so many strange life forms in your backyard?
