Bed bugs: More than 50 tarantulas, spiders seized from Maine motel

NORWAY, Maine — A motel owner in southwestern Maine found one of his rented rooms had too many guests Saturday.

Andrew Coombs, who runs the Inn Town Motel in Norway, said he found three tarantulas and three spiders in a room when he went to collect payment from a guest, the Sun Journal of Lewiston reported.

Sean Schoomaker was evicted from the room, Coombs told the newspaper. His girlfriend, a woman identified only as Kyla, was also staying in the room.

“The guy had been here about 10 days,” Coombs said Tuesday. “Turns out he gave me a bogus number and address when he checked in. He said he was from Waterford, but I don’t even know where he’s really from.”

The arachnids were found in plastic cases, arranged throughout the room on stands and tables, the Sun Journal reported.

Tim Coombs, of the Maine Warden Service, cited Schoomaker for possessing three tarantulas that are illegal to possess in Maine. The other 50 spiders were confiscated and taken to an exotic animal facility in Lewiston for further identification, according to the Sun Journal.

Andrew Coombs said Schoomaker and his girlfriend headed to Lewiston to find a place to stay.

“I booted him,” Coombs told the Sun Journal. “He must have snuck them all in at night. We never would have allowed that in our motel.

“I can’t imagine he’s going to find anyone to let him check in with those tarantulas.”

Cox Media Group