Among Friends

[Bonkers1]

There was a story on the news today that hordes of them will be coming out soon in certain states.  Do you live in a state that will be subject to this?

[Desertdi]

We ALREADY have plenty of them in Arizona (nothing new here).   I've seen them the size of dinner plates...sipping water out of swimming pools...

[kitcat51]

No & I never will.

[Bonkers1]

@Desertdi 

Holy moly.

[gizmogal]

If the thread isn't creepy (or crawly) enough here's an extract from today's USA Today article describing the why and where these hordes of male taranturlas, looking to mate, are most likely to appear:

Tarantulas prefer dry climates and primarily live in Western and Southwestern states with arid and semi-arid habitats. They are prevalent in Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

But they're in other places as well. South Florida has the Mexican red rump and the Texas brown can be found in Oklahoma and Missouri.

I'd guess people living in those states are quite fmiliar with tarantula appearancess. 

I mostly looked it up to make sure these things weren't likely to appear in Brooklyn, NY.  Yes, that's a matter of personal interest, since I would die on the spot seeing one.

Look out for a tarantula holding a rose. He's probably a bachelor looking for love.  It's still ewwww in my book...

[Kachina624]

It happens annually in the desert, the tarantula migration.

I live in the desert and I've never seen s tarantula or a rattlesnake or a scorpion. 

[just bee]

I've lived in Albuquerque for 30 years and I've seen only one out and about.  And it was beautiful. 

Yes, they're out there, but they mostly keep to themselves.

[wagirl]

OK---GREAT!!!!!  I can handle many critters---snakes, rodents, reptiles, bugs---but not spiders in any size!!! In fact just that word----makes me shudder----now I live in Washington---the western side and have never, ever heard of those things being around--eastern WA is hot and dry tho------😧

[just bee]

We do have wolf spiders here in the high desert.  They're a good size and they appear even larger because they carry the entire family on their backs.

I'll refrain from posting photos. 

[KittySoftPaws]

@gizmogal  The Mexican Red Rump LOL! I live in Southern Florida and I have yet to see one. I used to be really afraid of spiders for no reason other than their looks and 8 eyes. But I never harm them and I try to respect they have a place in this World and it's ecosysytem. I have only see a tarantula once and that was in Arizona. I wasn't afraid of him, just really fascinated. It was also in AZ that I first saw a scorpion. I was on my way to the bedroom of my Dad's friends guesthouse. He was heading to my room ahead of me. Needless to say I didn't sleep well that night.