Thousands Of 'Ballooning' Spiders Cloak Australian Town In Webs

[marmar]

Link to tweet

?s=20


A region in Australia’s southeast has been cloaked in sheets of web after floodwaters forced thousands of spiders to find higher ground.

Residents in Victoria’s Gippsland region witnessed the spectacle after intense rain and heavy flooding rocked the area last week, damaging dozens of homes and leaving two people dead.

The waterlogged soil sent thousands, possibly millions of spiders scrambling for refuge on plants, signs and anything else above ground.

“We are constantly surrounded by spiders, but we don’t usually see them. They are hiding in the leaf litter and in the soil,” Lizzy Lowe, a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University, wrote in an explainer about the phenomenon for The Conversation.

“When these flood events happen, they need evacuate quickly up out of holes they live in underground. They come out en masse and use their silk to help them do that.” .........(more)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spider-webs-australian-town_n_60ca926ae4b0b80b49eb245a?

[Boxerfan]

1. Flamethrower-send more flamethrowers....

Sorry but I'm a lover of all creatures-except spiders-They know what they have done!

[smirkymonkey]

12. I'm with you!

That would completely freak me out.

This is one of the reasons I have no desire to ever go to Australia. This and the many other deadly insects, reptiles and mammals that one would have to contend with.

[canetoad]

14. A bit like the USA

[EndlessWire]

18. Oh, someone who understands!

I feel affection for Australia, and there are many economic opportunities to be had there, but dang! I am afraid of the insects that live there. My impression is "tough Aussie" (now THAT'S a knife!) and it's very romantic, but NOPE--not going there!

[FakeNoose]

2. Spooky! Looks like a set for a Harry Potter movie or something

[3Hotdogs]

3. No. This is a problem, bigger than flame throwers...

Need Jewish space lasers.

[Takket]

4. where are my space lasers!

We were promised space lasers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DoBotherMe]

5. I'm still waiting for

taco trucks on every corner!

[Takket]

6. You and me both!

[Azathoth]

7. Australia is a big nope

Delightful people, beautiful scenery, but spiders and snakes out of a nightmare hallucination.

[canetoad]

15. But no guns

Remembers that. Spiders, snakes but no guns. No large meat eating mammals either.

[PlanetBev]

8. For me, that is...

Non stop heart failure.

[spudspud]

9. "Nuke the entire site from orbit--it's the only way to be sure"

[Aussie105]

11. Bunch of sissies! lol

I was removing an old leaking gutter.
Found huge mommy spider and 100 babies under it.
Left them alone, hope they survived.

They do useful things, like eat insects.

And spin some beautiful, large webs. I need a torch at night in the warmer weather so I don't walk into them.
I apologize if I do . . .

[canetoad]

16. Exactly 105

Leave em alone, they do the same. When every second person has a dozen guns at home and is prepared to use them, I know what I'd prefer.

[Rhiannon12866]

23. I'm the same way about spiders, see them as our friends for just that reason.

The only thing I do if I find a spider inside is transport it outdoors.

[EndlessWire]

20. Hahahah!! n/t

[spudspud]

24. The one guy that got it. lol /nt

[Chicago1980]

10. Where's William Shatner...?

Or John Goodman...

[pressbox69]

17. .

[Solly Mack]

13. Cool

[pressbox69]

19. I'll chance spiders

if they devour bedbugs.

[EndlessWire]

21. Wouldn't they have to be in bed with you

for that to happen?

[Buns_of_Fire]

22. I've lived thru a bedbug infestation. Spiders are preferable. nt

[salin]

25. I am at a midwestern epicenter of Brood X cicadas (decibel counts were up to 90)

and I would like with those irritating bugs for a year rather than 5-6 weeks over having to deal with this webbing for even a day or two. Ick!