Originally Published October 18, 2017
Arachnaphobia? Entomophobia? Apiphobia? What are you afraid of this Halloween? If crawling critters give you the heeby geebies, you are not alone. Did you know there is actually a term for fear of butterflies? Which fear was featured in a box office smash?
1. Entomophia: Fear of Insects
Insects can cause distress to many people. This particular phobia covers a wide range of organisms and is more of an umbrella to many species of insects. The shear thought of creepy, crawly bugs can be frightful enough to cause severe anxiety.
2. Ophidiophobia: Fear of Snakes
One of the most common phobias on the planet. The most interesting piece to this fear is that most people who suffer from ophidiophobia, have never seen a snake in person. Psychologists have even tested children and determined that they could identify snake and spider pictures quicker than pictures of less threatening images such as frogs or butterflies. The most venomous snake is the Inland Taipan. Lucky for us, it is only found in Australia and it is not aggressive. If a bite were to occur, an adult human would meet his demise in less than an hour. In the southeast US, only a few species of snakes are poisonous. They are not encountered very often and death from snakebite is extremely rare.
3. Arachnophobia: Fear of Spiders
A phobia so common that a 1990 movie was made about it. Box office sales topped $50 million, making it the #10 on the list of all time horror-comedies. Others on the list do not get this distinction. To some, just the thought of a spider's web or running into the sticky threads will send folks into a nervous breakdown. The most dangerous spider is the Brazilian Wandering Spider. This spider's venom is 20 times more toxic than our Black Widow Spider. The only two in the southeastern US that are considered very venomous are the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. The Black Widow's venom is neurotoxic (affects the nervous system) while the Brown Recluse's causes flesh to rot. Cue the nightmares.
4. Myrmecophobia: Fear of Ants
Not a very common phobia but nonetheless, some people do have an intense fear of ants. Is it their strength or maybe the sheer numbers that cause some to quiver? On average, ants can lift 20 times their own body weight to show off their strength. The Argentine ant can have colonies of extraordinary size. A colony in Europe has been recorded as the largest ever stretching 3,700 miles along the Mediterranean coast.
5. Lepidopterophobia: Fear of Butterflies
Seriously, is that really a fear? The scariest thing about this one might be the name. Maybe it's the way caterpillars mummify themselves in the process of metamorphosis. It might also be the fact that butterflies can be so dramatically "two-faced," with one side evolutionarily designed to attract a mate, while the other brilliantly camouflages from predators.
There is nothing cute about pests.
At Cingo, we don't normally think of bugs as "adorable," but even we must admit the costume selection at Chasing Fireflies has some of the cutest insects we've ever seen. Check out the cockroach, ladybug, firefly and spider from their collection.
If you suspect any of these real pests may threaten your home or family, contact Cingo for residential pest control. Be sure to ask what we mean by protection from every single pest. We are not afraid.
About Cingo: The name Cingo means to surround and secure, conveying the company's commitment to home protection. The company has been protecting families in the Southeast since 1974. It provides home protection services throughout Georgia and South Carolina, including Atlanta, Augusta, Charleston, Douglas, Dublin, Milledgeville, Savannah, Vidalia, Waycross and all points in between. Cingo was named a Best Place to Work in Georgia by Georgia Trend Magazine and listed as a National Best & Brightest Company to Work For. Learn more at www.cingohome.com.