Spotting a spider in your home can be enough to cause panic. Sure, some are harmless, but who can trust those beady little eyes and creepy crawly legs?
In 2009, the Baltimore Wastewater Treatment Plant issued a call to help for their “extreme spider situation.” What they discovered is enough to send everyone running for cover. I would have probably evacuated the entire city.
There were 4 ACRES of webbing.
Scientists estimated there were 100 million spiders present in the facility.
That’s over 35,000 spiders per cubic meter.
The webs were so heavy, they damaged light fixtures.
The main culprits were a species of spider known as the long-jawed orb weaver.
(via Wired.)
The sticky webs in some areas of the plant were so dense that they pulled 8-foot fluorescent lights out of their place. And the most terrifying fact about this horrible story? These kind of mega-infestations aren’t even uncommon. They usually occur near water where spiders can find disease-spreading midges to munch on. This technically means they’re helpful, but still super creepy.
No thanks!