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 Post subject: Lamma for Arachnophobes?
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 10:48 am 
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Dan emailed me:

I am thinking about moving to Lamma Island, but I have an extreme case of arachnophobia. What are the odds one of the large spiders I've seen along the trails ends up inside of my apartment? Is this a regular part of island life?

It would be helpful to get an estimate of how many spiders Lamma islanders see inside of their apartments in the course of one summer month. I'd say three or more and I can't move there.


I've replied:
Sorry to hear about your arachnophobia. Sorry, but Lamma might not be for you, as spiders are almost everywhere, including inside flats, especially during these summer months. It's almost impossible to keep the small ones out as they creep through little nooks and crannies.

You won't see the big ones inside flats, but they'll lurk just outside your doors and even in staircases. The most beautiful and (almost) harmless ones, the Golden Orb spiders or Woodland spiders, they're all over the island, weaving their huge webs between bushes and trees, even over concreted paths. Lammaites can't avoid occasionally walking into a web or at least getting a few of the tough and sticky silk strains stuck in our hair or clothes.

The big spiders are usually pretty harmless, it's the small ones that are more worrisome as you might not notice them. Some have a nasty, poisonous bite and some of them like living and hunting even smaller critters in our flats.

But no need to believe me as I love spiders and creepy crawlies and take close-up pictures whenever I can. Would you mind me putting your email - anonymous, of course - into our Flora & Fauna forum and on Facebook to see what feedback you'll get from other Lammaites?

Dan was OK with that and would love to hear from other Lammaites! Your reply, please?

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:01 am 
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Location: Tai Peng
A phobia is an irrational fear. so saying how harmless most spiders is won't help much.

The bugs that are out to get you are the centipedes, highly aggressive and poisonous (though not lethal) and mosquitoes.

However, I've lived on Lamma over 20 years, never been bitten by a spider or even noticed them much inside the house.

If you go down a less busy path, watch out for webs across it. Or wave a long stick in front of you to break the webs. Every time I go down the beach I see tourists marvelling at the huge spiders in their webs strung above the path.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:19 pm 
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You will learn how to do the 'spider dance'... (my name for it purely),.. and that is when you walk into a big web strewn across the paths early in the morning, and you do the 'jig' as you are wondering where the hell the spider is!!

But that's only if you go hiking early morning (I think?)

However, Lamma could be a good place to get over 'your fear'. They are quite pretty and generally more scared of you, than you are of 'it'. And you can view them from a distance.

I've named quite a few in the past :-) (the ones that inhabited my home for a short while)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 7:28 am 
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Feedback to Lamma Gung's post on Facebook:

Lamma for Arachnophobia sufferers?
Dan emailed me:
"I am thinking about moving to Lamma Island, but I have an extreme case of arachnophobia. What are the odds one of the large spiders I've seen along the trails ends up inside of my apartment? Is this a regular part of island life?"
What would YOUR reply be?
<UL><LI>100% within a year.
<LI>No large ones inside in my experience. Lamma cured my arachnophobia in large part, but I was left with a ridiculous fear of centipedes. I still have nightmares about those creepers 2 months on.
<LI>We've had two massive huntsmen spiders in the house in the last 12 months...get used to it!!
<LI>Large woodland spiders may be what he means; very unlikely in house. Big fast huntsmen, yes; maybe don't mention the centipedes! Or chance a venomous snake could get in... [this based on Cheung Chau; know of a couple of cobras into flats).
<LI>If nature creeps you out, this is NOT the place for you.
<LI>There are many therapies out there that can clear up your fears in a few sessions, deal with your fears.
<LI>Yeah, Lamma is a great place to pick up a new collection of phobias.
<LI>Tell him:
"The arachnids in one's home on Lamma are not toxic to humans and they keep the deadly brain eating butterfly numbers down."
See if that helps!
<LI>I came to Lamma with pretty bad arachnophobia. It has abated strangely. I have only twice had spiders actually in my place. Both times I have had to get a nice friend to come around and get rid of them. I have been on Lamma for 15 years.
<LI>Oh, and tell him not to rent a flat with trees around.
<LI>Spiders are the least of your worries on Lamma. Centipedes now that is a nasty nasty, and yes they come in your apartment and bite you when you are sleeping... just for fun...
<LI>Not the least of your worries if you have extreme arachnophobia...
<LI>Yes, I would suggest that this fellow look at life on Lamma as a radical way to combat his phobia. The spiders here are enormous, but at least the Golden Orb weavers are relatively harmless.
After living amongst them, he will never be nervous about common (small) spiders again. I know that my life on Lamma has surprisingly and forever cured me of any anxiety I once felt about spiders or snakes.
<LI>In 17.5 yrs on Lamma, I have never had large spider in my house, just the cute little ones that jump. Don't get a ground floors rural flat and it should be all good.
<LI>Me too, in four years on Lamma, I just had the small jumping ones with spinning heads. In my flats on Lantau and in the NT though, I've had huntsmen and wood spiders.
<LI>I'm not afraid of spiders, but . . .
Last fall I noticed sudden insect-like movement behind my wife on the stairwell above me. It was something big, and at the exact the moment I realized it was a spider - it jumped off the wall, hurtling towards my face, legs outstretched!! That made me scared of spiders!!! Or at least that one.
I saw another one again a month ago, but is was on the ground, safely away me, and best of all, jumping away from my feet. I've been here about 2.5 years for what it's worth.
<LI>My favourite visiting house spiders are huntsman spiders who dance on the walls. They are not web spinners and they move electrically fast (as they are hunters).
I absolutely adore spiders - but if an arachnophobe bumped into one of my house guests, it might end in tears. I've also have seen lovely wolf spiders outside my house...
<LI>Why can't we treat those little spiders or big spiders as our visitors only. They can come and go. I agree with Liz Gower, they are absolutely adorable spiders.</UL>Dan replied:
"Thanks all. I've decided I'll try living there for one month and face my fear head on. If you see a skinny, middle-eastern guy walking down a path, waving a stick in front of his face, feel free to say hello."

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