From late summer through fall, male tarantulas emerge from their burrows<\/a> on a singular mission: to find a female and mate before they die, experts say.<\/p>\n “These males … they\u2019ve been alive for five to eight years,” Cara Shillington, a biology professor who studies tarantulas at Eastern Michigan University, told Fox News Digital. (See the video at the top of this article.)\u00a0<\/p>\n AMERICA’S SECOND-LARGEST CICADA SWARM IS ABOUT TO EMERGE ACROSS THE EAST COAST<\/a><\/p>\n “They have one mating season. At the end of the season, they will die.”<\/p>\n This means that if you see a tarantula out and about between August and October,<\/a> you\u2019re witnessing its grand finale \u2014 the final act in a long, hidden life underground.<\/p>\n Male tarantulas emerge only to find a mate when they reach sexual maturity at around 8 to 10 years old, after which they usually die within months. (iStock)<\/p>\n “Tarantulas are less active during the cooler months, spending this time dormant in their burrows,” Paul Biggs, a board-certified entomologist and technical services manager at Orkin, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n “Because of the harsh environmental conditions<\/a>, they take shelter and conserve energy during this time,” added Biggs, who is based in Riverside, California.<\/p>\n Where to spot them<\/p>\n Tarantulas are commonly found across the Southern and Southwestern U.S., including in these states and areas:<\/p>\n TexasArizonaCaliforniaOklahomaNew MexicoNevadaUtahSoutheastern Colorado<\/p>\n In some areas, their movements are so noticeable that the Colorado Parks and Wildlife<\/a> website refers to it as “a migration.”<\/p>\n “They\u2019re more scared of you than you are of them.”<\/p>\n Southeastern Colorado even hosts an annual Tarantula Festival<\/a> in the town of La Junta, Shillington noted.<\/p>\n Tarantulas don’t just live on forest floors. The Colorado species also thrives in trees and prairie grasslands, said Shillington.<\/p>\n TICKS SPREAD TO NEW REGIONS ACROSS AMERICA, BRINGING DANGEROUS DISEASES AND NEED FOR VIGILANCE<\/a><\/p>\n “In Colorado, they are in very distinct burrows. In Missouri, you find them more frequently under rocks,” she said.<\/p>\n The spiders’ ability to burrow depends on the soil, the expert noted. For example, hard clay makes digging tough, so some may opt for hiding under natural cover.<\/p>\n “Tarantulas are less active during the cooler months, spending this time dormant in their burrows,” an expert said. (iStock)<\/p>\n What to do if you see them<\/p>\n First, don\u2019t panic. Tarantulas are not aggressive and prefer to avoid confrontation.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Tarantulas don\u2019t pose any threat at all,” Shillington told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n She noted that “they\u2019re more scared of you than you are of them.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n The arachnids rarely bite, and if they do, it’s a defensive move, which is why it\u2019s best not to try to pick one up or mess with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Any time you try to grab it, the first thing it\u2019ll do is try and run,” said Shillington. “They respond to anything trying to grab them as a threat.”<\/p>\n Even though tarantulas are well-known in popular culture, and even as pets, scientists still have many unanswered questions. (iStock)<\/p>\n If you find one in your home, trap it in a large container and take it outside, said Shillington.<\/p>\n Biggs cautioned against using pest products, which may “make the situation worse.”<\/p>\n He advised, “If you can contain it to one area in the meantime, do so without physically handling it.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n Even though tarantulas are well-known in popular culture, and even as pets,<\/a> scientists still have many unanswered questions.<\/p>\n “We actually know very little,” Shillington admitted. “I don\u2019t know when exactly they first come out or what prompts them. I have no idea how far they are walking to find females.”<\/p>\n For more Lifestyle articles, visit\u00a0<\/a>foxnews.com\/lifestyle<\/a><\/p>\n She and her team are working to track activity across tarantula territory to better understand how the spider’s behavior changes over time.<\/p>\n![\"Tarantula](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/tarantula-4.jpg\")
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