HUGE numbers of spiders have descended on a Lancashire farm and built an astonishing network of webs.
A series of gigantic spiderwebs appeared overnight on a 100 meter stretch of drywall near Trawden, East Lancashire.
This Small Town Became Infested With Huge Cobwebs Overnight.
By
Michael Avery in
Bizarre
On 19th November 2016
advertisement
On Halloween morning, something strange happened to Trawden, East Lancashire.
Thousands of spiders descended on the town, covering many prominent structures in sticky webs. It's not a common occurrence, and scientists still aren't exactly sure why it happened.
What's disturbing is how quickly this happened.
Residents claim it happened overnight. Imagine waking up to this -- and try not to grab for the flamethrower.
advertisement
The infestation was centered at a farm owned by Judith and Thomas Charnley.
"They are quite spectacular," Judith told the Daily Mail. "It's just a shame they didn't do it the day before Halloween; that would have been very appropriate."
So, what's going on here?
The spiders are likely Dictyna arundinacea, a common species in Europe. They're characterized by white hair and a small body size of 2-3 millimeters on average. They do bite, but their venom is not harmful to humans.
advertisement
It's likely that they chose this village due to unseasonably high temperatures.
If you needed a reason to fight climate change, this is a good one: if you don't, all of your stuff will be covered with spiders. Fun.
advertisement
People have flocked to the Charnleys' farm to see the odd sight.
"We've had walking groups coming up, people stopping their cars and taking photos," said Judith. Yes, some people want to actually get closer.
advertisement
In all seriousness, these spiders are likely beneficial.
Warm weather can bring mosquitoes, which can be much more than a minor nuisance. These spiders are better than the alternative -- but that doesn't make them much less creepy.
