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For most of us, getting a pet involves taking in a dog, cat or maybe a rabbit. But not for Aaron Phoenix who opted for a more gruesome choice when picking an animal to share his home.
Not for him a cuddly Tiddles, loyal and loving Rover or a cute Flopsy, he decided to get a tarantula. But then his love of the eight-legged creatures grew so much he now has more than 300 of them.
Luckily, his partner and children are not squeamish and are quite happy to share their home with hundreds of spiders, scorpions, centipedes and praying mantis. But it is proving to be an expensive and consuming hobby which is taking over their home.
Read more: Fish-eating spiders the size of your hand on the rise in the UK
Aaron, aged 35, began collecting spiders in the summer of 2021 after being advised by his GP to “get a hobby” to help with his mental health. Because he had always had a soft spot for creepy-crawlies he decided to get a spider – and then his collection turned into a passion.
Aaron, from Yate in South Gloucestershire, shares his house with his girlfriend Jo, 46, and her two teenage daughters. The spiders also have their own bedroom where they all live in separate enclosures.
While he admits it’s an unusual hobby, Aaron says he has no plans to quit as he says it has done wonders for his mental health. He says he loves his spiders and believes this is what he was “born to do”.
Aaron, who works as a house removal contractor, said: “Everyone has their passion, and this is mine. The Royal Mail delivery people even know me as “Spider-Man” because every week they bring me my new pets labelled “live animals” on the box.
“I love them so much, I could sit and watch them for hours in my spider room. I still have my down moments but I feel now on the whole I’m in a place where my mental health has improved and I’m really content – thanks to my spiders.”
Aaron first looked into getting some spiders after doctors told him to “get a hobby” following a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and depression. He said the most he has paid for any of his spiders was a whopping £165 for a rare female Mexican Flame Knee tarantula – which is his pride and joy.
Along with his huge collection of tarantulas he also has five other spiders, three scorpions, three praying mantises and a centipede. He calls the room where they all live his “happy place” and spends every moment of his free time in there with them.
Aaron said: “I check on them every morning and evening, although if I had time, I could stand and watch for hours. I’m just fascinated by them – all the different sizes and shapes and colours. When I’m with them, whether it’s feeding, watering or rehousing them, nothing else in the world matters.”
He is such an enthusiast that he even breeds his own now – pairing matured males and females which can lead to tens or even hundreds of new spiderlings at a time. But he said that had its risks.
“It’s not easy because females like to eat the males after they mate – so I have to have the tongs ready to quickly split them up after!” he said. Aaron is now part of the tarantula community online where he interacts with others who share his passion – as well as sharing daily updates about his pets on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
He cannot understand why so many people are frightened of tarantulas. “I do think they’re misunderstood – there’s no need for such a fear, but I can’t expect everyone to see them the way I do,” he said.
When he recently got a new camel spider he put it on his TikTok account and it got half a million views. He now plans to eventually set up his own shop selling the spiderlings he breeds.
He said: “The ultimate goal is to do everything spider wise for my work, there’s a long way to go but it’s a start. It sounds cheesy, but I believe this is what I was born to do.”
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