Overview

• Texas is in peak mating season this week as male tarantulas flood grasslands and deserts in search of mates
• Experts project similar above-ground activity from August through November in California, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico
• Only male spiders typically emerge during mating season while females remain hidden in their burrows
• Though generally docile, tarantulas can flick irritating barbed hairs and deliver bites comparable to a bee sting if provoked
• Wildlife specialists advise observing these spiders from a distance, noting their pest-control benefits and low risk to humans