Millions of spiders spinning silk have created giant webs covering the suburbs of Traralgon, Australia.
According to the Guardian on June 15, residents of Traralgon, Victoria, Australia, have discovered enormous spider webs spread across lawns and roadside areas in the city.
“They cover the signs and everything else, looking quite impressive. Although you can’t see through the photos, there are countless spiders within those webs. Perhaps there are thousands of them,” a local resident commented.
Giant spider webs in Traralgon, Australia. (Photo: Guardian).
According to Professor Ken Walker, an insect expert at the Melbourne Museum, the phenomenon of these massive spider webs appearing is due to the activity of millions of spiders as they seek to move away from floods.
Professor Walker explained that during the rainy season in Victoria, spiders often release a type of silk known as ballooning silk. This very thin silk allows them to travel through the air for distances of up to 100 kilometers to escape flooding caused by heavy rains.
“A significant flood has occurred, so the swarm of spiders is using ballooning silk to ascend to the tops of trees,” said Professor Walker.
A recorded spider specimen. (Photo: Guardian).
As large numbers of spiders release silk, they intertwine with each other, creating massive spider webs that currently blanket the vegetation in the suburbs of Traralgon.
Professor Walker further noted that each spider produces only one single strand of silk to help them escape from floods. This means that it takes millions upon millions of spiders to create a giant spider web.
“They are completely harmless. Most of the spiders have fangs that are too short to penetrate human skin,” Professor Walker stated.
