Web of Intrigue

I have a natural affinity for Spiders.

That is a good thing as my daily work invariably involves walking through a fine woven web be it arrayed in an empty house, getting a face full of gossamer like thread and dead insects in a roof-space or being the first in line to mount a rescue operation for an eight legged arachnid that has become stuck in the cavern of a bath-tub.

Of course a typical UK spider is not really anything to really be afraid of although in recent years I have noticed a trend of the things being a big larger and a whole lot more aggressive when confronted by a human being.

I have a strict policy of preserving the life of a spider in a one to one scenario which is to the dismay of my family and friends who often call upon me to help out when the situation arises.

This can be, as previously mentioned, fashioning an escape route from a bathroom incarceration (my work clipboard and paper pad are a good method) , the careful removal of a spider form a living room by means of trapping it in a glass tumbler with a drinks coaster as a temporary lid or simply by taking any web or creatures that I may have walked through outside to allow them to scuttle away into the garden vegetation.

For all of this show of bravado I am still a little bit scared of this type of invertebrate and for many of the same reasons of those who have a proper phobia. These include their hairy bodies, pattern of movement, lifeless eyes and that irrational fear that they might crawl into your ears whilst you are asleep and lay their eggs in your head.

If you upscale a typical British spider to the size of tropical species and add in the ability to cause death or paralysis by a bite then the fears also increase exponentially.

Apart from avoiding the natural habitats of the most dangerous spiders which may not be too difficult in keeping to normal tourist type travel destinations there is still a possibility of those most spider-phobic amongst us will suffer an adverse reaction to even the teeny-weeniest of the creatures in their own homes.

In response to this London Zoo run what they call a Friendly Spider Programme.

For an adult fee of £150 they provide a 5 hour intensive session run by the Head of Invertebrate Conservation but also employing the services of a hypnotherapist from a respected Clinic.

There are individual sessions to analyse the specific fears of the those attending the course, an opportunity to ask the questions that have not been adequately answered in the past therefore contributing to anxiety and stress and after a comfort break with beverages and biscuits there is the crucial matter of a Group Hypnosis.

The organisers and specialists behind the course must have confidence in the hypnosis in particular as immediately after the Group session there is a visit to the London Zoo Invertebrate collection for a face to face meeting with British House Spiders It is emphasised that this visit is optional as it gives an opportunity to practice catching British house spiders, hopefully in the calm manner expected as well as a chance to meet a Mexican Red-Knee which is indicated as being friendly.

The awarding of a Certificate to those completing the course is to be expected but is that bit of paper worth it?

After all, can you use it to scoop up and carry a spider to safety from a corner of the living room or from the depths of an acrylic or metal bath?