For many Americans, spiders are unsightly, obtrusive and offensive. For some people with arachnophobia (the fear of spiders), their fear may be an evolutionary response, as spiders have long been linked to illness and infections.
The sight of these lanky intruders often induces a sudden tinge of panic while also reminding us that Mother Nature is all around us (despite our best intentions to keep what lives outside out). Though we try to keep our distance from them most of the time, a chance meeting at the bottom of a shoe or beneath a stowed away blanket may lead to a dreaded... Read More »