Don’t Freak, Tarantula Mating Season Has Arrived in WeHo

If you’re like me and you’ve spotted a big, furry spider making its slow way across a trail or your driveway lately, no need to panic, it’s just tarantula mating season here in WeHo and SoCal.

Turns out, fall is their mating season. This time of year finds male tarantulas crawling out of their burrows and hitting the road looking for love. They’re easiest to spot on sunny and warm afternoons, especially in locations like Runyon Canyon (which is where I had my encounter), Griffith Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains.  With this week expected to be in the 90’s, your chances of meeting one may increase.  When I came across one on a hike in Runyon, I was at first stunned, then fascinated, then came to love how they were simply crossing the path like they owned it.  I went from being scared to fascinated to falling in love in a matter of moments.  Sound familiar? 

I was reminded of that moment yesterday while watching a CBS Sunday Morning feature about these wonderful, wandering males, confirming that what I’d witnessed wasn’t unusual, it’s nature’s annual slow-mo love story.

For all their size and Halloween-scary looks, tarantulas are definitely not villains.  Even if they look the part. Yes, they’re venomous but no, they are not deadly.  Their bite is about as bad as a bee sting, and only happens if they’re harassed. Most would rather flee than fight.

I was amazed to discover that Tarantulas have been around for nearly 400 million years, outlasting dinosaurs and every extinction event since.  Their slow crawl, calm and cool temperament, and ancient lineage make them less scary Halloween villains and more symbols of patience and endurance.

Sadly, experts say the males don’t have much time to enjoy the romance they’re searching for.  Once they do finally find a mate, it’s often game over.  Many die soon after the lusty liaison.  Sometimes from exhaustion, starvation, or get this — because the female eats them.  Nature’s tough like that.  Could be enough to turn a few gay wouldn’t you say?  I wonder if some would benefit from a dating app called “Spidr?”

So, if you come across one of our eight-legged neighbors out on the move, do not fear them (or worse), dare to admire these beautiful and harmless creatures.   This Hallows’ Eve let’s celebrate the spooky spider so many fear.  For the tarantula is not unlike many of us WeHo residents: we may look a bit odd to some, we may even bite when we feel threatened, and yes, many are looking for love in all the wrong places. But, when you get up close and personal, you’ll find we’re really rather harmless, often misunderstood, and surprisingly pretty lovable.