How to get over an irrational fear.....if anyone had a quick answer to that it would change the world. A quick answer. Stop being afraid. Fight it out with yourself. "I am not afraid of a tiny animal with little teeth and no real desire to bite me. I handle far more dangerous animals like kittens and puppies with no problem. This is a completely irrational fear. The worst thing that can happen is I can get bit. The bite last time was not really that bad. I risk walking around my house when at any minute I might stub my toe, that hurts way more."
This fear is entirely in your head. The only way to battle it is in your head. You can try wearing gloves or using a hook. My instinct is that you will still feel nervous. The gloves and the hook won't help because your fear is in your head not in the cage.