Tarantula Mating Season Hits Scottsdale

August marks the beginning of tarantula mating season. This means you may see more of those large eight-legged creatures out and about.

How Does this Affect You?

Tarantulas make their homes in arid climates, such as a desert. Since Scottsdale is located in the Sonoran Desert, we share our city with several species of these large spiders. While they are typically unseen, only emerging at night to hunt, August is when their mating season begins. Thus, you may see a large increase in sightings of them. In particular, on warm days before it rains, you will likely see even more.

As someone who may need or who currently has in-home care in Scottsdale, it’s important to know that you may see one of these creatures accidentally crawl into your home. If that happens, don’t worry, don’t fret. They are typically harmless, and it is only looking for food or a mate.

The best thing to do is to keep pets away and help usher it back outside, without harming it.

Aren’t They Dangerous?

Dan McCamish, a senior environmental scientist with California State Parks, says this about them, “In truth, they’re gentle, ecologically valuable animals. Mostly they’re interested in escaping from confrontations – especially with something they know could squish them.”

As McCamish explains, they are not dangerous. They are naturally timid creatures that do not want to interact with humans; they like to keep to themselves. The only danger arises if you try to pick one up, play with it, or interfere with a male and female mating. Picking one up may be painful because their bodies are covered in barbed hairs, urticating hairs, that they can flick off their body like darts. This may then cause some irritation to the skin. The other thing to note is that they can jump very high, sometimes up to two feet off the ground.

If you see one and it starts moving towards you, back up and give it space. It may be defending its eggs, or you may have interrupted a mating ritual.

How to Convince One to Go Away?

As a homeowner, Griswold Caregiver, or anyone else caring for a loved one, if one of these creatures finds its way into your home, try not to harm it. Instead, the best method to encourage them to move is to prod it with a long stick, or something similar, and lightly touch its abdomen. They will generally move away from whichever direction the tap comes from. Allowing you to safely move it out of the home.

If one has come in contact with your clothing, bedding, pillow, or other furniture, it is a good idea to wipe down the surface or use duct tape to dab the surface to remove any irritating hairs it may have left.

Why is it a Bad Idea to Harm Them?

It can be easy to see a bug, or in this case, a scary-looking bug, and have your first instinct be to get rid of it by any means necessary. However, it’s important not to harm tarantulas as they provide many benefits to the ecosystem:

• They help keep other insect populations down
• Their burrows help soil aeration and water filtration
• Their presence signals ecological health

Is In-Home Care Right for You?

We offer a variety of care services and would be happy to chat about your options. We will put together a personalized care plan and can typically have one of our Caregivers at your home within 24 hours. Give us a call today!