I think this particular fear was born one night when I was really little. I felt something on the back of my neck and when I reached up to brush it away, it was a spider! I have been terribly afraid of spiders ever since. Unless they're really, really small I won't even get close enough to squish it - I get the windex, or something in a spray bottle so I can kill it from afar. I do tend to scream softly, too.