Pests, tarantulas seeing spikes in warmer, humid RGV weather

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Across social media, people are reporting seeing more tarantulas and pests inside their homes.

Experts tell ValleyCentral this is all due to the summer heat and moisture in the Rio Grande Valley. Simple Pest and Termite Solutions Owner Jose Elizondo says calls at his business have been nonstop since the hot weather started.

“I definitely say we have seen a 40% spike as it is coming up, coming up," Elizondo said.

It is prime time for ants, cockroaches, termites, and even fleas to infest homes.

“One home I worked in, you enter the house and you are up to your waist in fleas in just the first couple of seconds, and that could be a nightmare for the poor people who have to go through that," Elizondo said.

He says preventive spraying is ideal around homes, as tarantulas are also being reported everywhere from Brownsville to McAllen and Zapata County. May to August is usually mating season for these eight-legged critters.

“They are coming out right now because it is a breeding time right now and they are trying to meet some lady friends and go out there and connect and go on a couple of dates and get it going," Elizondo said. "They are scary and, for the most part, they are harmless, but they are here to look for other insects.”

Elizondo says people who live close to open fields and creeks are the most exposed to pests. However, local wildlife experts say that tarantulas should not be considered pests as they are not dangerous to humans.

Las Rajas Ranch Co-Manager Roberto Vela says tarantulas are a valuable part of the ecosystem as they eat insects and serve as food for birds, lizards, and some mammals.

"They're not a threat to us, to people, they're not a threat to cattle, they're not a threat to wildlife," Vela said. "They're not a threat to crops. You know, you see one, and you just let it keep going. It doesn't even know or care that you're there.”

He also says people who see one should just let it pass by as they are just out finding females to mate; however, their bite can be strong.

“They do have venom, but the bite has been compared to a bee sting, and that's somebody I know was recently bitten by one, and that's because they were actually messing with it," Vela said.

If one is inside your home, Vela says to just bring it outside.

“The best thing to do is if you can just scoop it up into a bucket or some kind of container, a box or something like that, and you can take it outside," Vela said.

As temperatures get warmer, Elizondo recommends you do some preventive work at home to keep things pest-free.

"Try to keep that yard as controlled as you can," Elizondo said. "Not too much tall grass, or shrubs. Seal your openings, your entrances, if you have any corners in or around the doors or any stuff outside where you have pozitos that enter into your roof.”