Thousands of spiders blanket Australian farm after escaping flood

[notorious]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/thousands-spiders-blanket-australian-farm-escaping-flood-165958059.html

Thousands of spiders blanket Australian farm after escaping flood

Thousands of normally solitary wolf spiders have blanketed an Australian farm after fleeing a rising flood.

Reuters reports that the flooding has forced more than 8,000 Australian (human) residents from their homes in the city of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. But for every temporarily displaced person, it appears several spiders have moved in to fill the void.

"What we've seen here is a type of wolf spider," Owen Seeman, an arachnid expert at Queensland Museum, told Reuters. "They are trying to hide away (from the waters)."

The Australian Museum's entomology collections manager Graham Milledge told Reuters that there's even a term for the phenomenon, "ballooning," and that it is typical behavior for spiders forced to escape rising waters.

You can watch a video here of researchers on the hunt for ballooning spiders from the safety of a hot air balloon.

Thankfully for local residents, the occupying arachnids are not likely to set up permanent residence, a la the 1977 William Shatner clunker "Kingdom of the Spiders." Weather reports say the flood waters in Wagga Wagga have begun receding, meaning that locals will soon be returning to their homes and the wolf spiders will also be returning to their natural underground habitats.

And it turns out the spiders are actually doing quite a bit of good while setting up shop above ground. The spiders are feasting on mosquitoes and other insect populations that have boomed with the increased moisture brought about by the rising waters.

"The amount of mosquitoes around would be incredible because of all this water," Taronga Zoo spider keeper Brett Finlayson told the Sydney Morning Herald. "The spiders don't pose any harm at all. They are doing us a favor. They are actually helping us out."


As amazing as this display may be, it's not the first time photographers have captured massive displaced spider migrations. One of the most famous pictures of 2011, above, showed millions of spiders and other insects in Pakistan that had formed massive web clusters in trees to escape rising floodwaters.

"It was largely spiders," Russell Watkins, U.K. Department for International Development, told National Geographic. "Certainly, when we were there working, if you stood under one of these trees, dozens of small, very, very tiny spiders would just be dropping down onto your head."

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/zShyp7aHFfzWDx.TvemOEA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/thesideshow/SpiderFlood.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/QSSiRMg7ZfB1LcblkIno6Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/thesideshow/pakistanspiders.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/URQaQfbIaq.VlXUQhsL3nA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/03/07/2012-03-06T091147Z-01-DGM33-RTRIDSP-3-AUSTRALIA-FLOODS-jpg_173757.jpg

[siberian khatru]

I hate spiders.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

That shit needs to be killed, preferrably with a lot of fire.

[In58men]

http://img.tapatalk.com/a6898d69-f9f1-d46f.jpg

[FAX]

I shall trade 9 hundred thousand draft picks to the mod who deletes this lusus naturae of a thread.

FAX

[BigMeatballDave]

I shall trade 9 hundred thousand draft picks to the mod who deletes this lusus naturae of a thread.

FAX

LMAO

I laugh but I agree.

I'd run from that town like my hair was on fire.

Fuck spiders.

[Scorp]

What does this have to do with Peyton Manning?

[Bugeater]

Hmmm...yeah...that's a little creepy.

[Buck]

Eh hem...

*Adjusts tie*

NOPE!

[Bugeater]

What does this have to do with Peyton Manning?
If Peyton comes to KC, and there happens to be any severe flooding while he's there, the spiders would likely seek refuge on his massive forehead.

[The_Doctor10]

Jesus Christ that's terrifying... I'm all for spiders in small numbers. Wipe em all out in situations like that, holy crap.

[Marcellus]

I still find it amazing people are scared of things like spiders that kill pretty much nobody in the world each year yet thousands die of hypothermia each year and nobody freaks when winter hits.

[listopencil]

Spiders are great.

[Deberg_1990]

Thats awesome! Reminds me of the 1977 William Shatner classic, Kingdom of the Spiders



<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TEutHPsF548" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Exoter175]

Fuck that, burn it all to the ground. I won't be able to sleep tonight.

[Mr. Laz]

blow me

eat me
rim me

[notorious]

LOL Shatner looks like he has a flaming hard-on.

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTg0MDY0NTQxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTI1Mjg5._V1._SY317_.jpg

[bevischief]

Peyton Manning.

[FAX]

I still find it amazing people are scared of things like spiders that kill pretty much nobody in the world each year yet thousands die of hypothermia each year and nobody freaks when winter hits.

Winter comes adorned with diamonds and pearls. And Christmas, too.

Spiders is creepy.

FAX

[CoMoChief]

omg

**** THAT

[WV]

I despise spiders.....

[CoMoChief]

FUCK ME.

MY GOD I WON'T BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.

I have 2 fears......clowns....and spiders.

[CoMoChief]

jfc what if there was a spider clown?

[Frazod]

GAH! :eek:

Why... did... I... click... on this thread :cuss:

[SPATCH]

NOL'd. Totally NOL'd. nope'd out loud.

[Gonzo]

Nuke it from orbit. Its the only way to be sure.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Frazod]

jfc what if there was a spider clown?

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/23600000/Evil-Clown-horror-world-23601543-1024-768.jpg

[milkman]

Those guys in Pakistan just needed to be hit by a little gamma radiation.

[notorious]

Nuke it from orbit. Its the only way to be sure.
Posted via Mobile Device

Fuckin' A.

[WhiteWhale]

Nancies.

Wolf spiders are harmless. They're actually awesome. They pose no threat to me and they kill bugs that suck my blood or generally annoy me with their buzzing.

[Radar Chief]

Spiders are great.

They look like wolf spiders (non-poisonous, track and overpower their prey). :shrug:
I'm with you, spiders eat the stuff that really creeps me out, like roaches.

[Radar Chief]

Nancies.

They're actually awesome. They pose no threat to me and they kill bugs that suck my blood or generally annoy me with their buzzing.

:thumb:

[notorious]

The wolf spiders in south Kansas/North Oklahoma grow pretty large. We are talking the size of a Compact Disc big.

[Predarat]

Thats awesome! Reminds me of the 1977 William Shatner classic, Kingdom of the Spiders



<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TEutHPsF548" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thats what I thought too, one of the pics looked like Spider Hill.

[WhiteWhale]

:thumb:

Spiders get a bad rap. So do Snakes.

Spiders kill annoying bugs.

Snakes kill annoying rodents.

Spiders and snakes didn't combine to kill 2/3 of the world's population, but rodents and annoying bugs united to do exactly that. THAT is scary!

[FAX]

The wolf spiders in south Kansas/North Oklahoma grow pretty large. We are talking the size of a Compact Disc big.

ROFL

The first time I took the beautiful and witty Mrs. FAX camping, she woke up with one of those bad boys on her sleeping bag. He was about the size of a drink coaster. Moments after the screaming ceased, there wasn't an animal or a bird within 10 miles. Even the spider was scared.

FAX

[whoman69]

That's nothing. Look at the spider they had on Gilligan's Island. http://www.gilligansisle.com/spider.html

[HonestChieffan]

Spiders get a bad rap. So do Snakes.

Spiders kill annoying bugs.

Snakes kill annoying rodents.

Spiders and snakes didn't combine to kill 2/3 of the world's population, but rodents and annoying bugs united to do exactly that. THAT is scary!


Snakes. Must. Die.

I have copperheads and rattlesnakes on my farm and if it was up to me they would all die.

[Fish]

ROFL

The first time I took the beautiful and witty Mrs. FAX camping, she woke up with one of those bad boys on her sleeping bag. He was about the size of a drink coaster. Moments after the screaming ceased, there wasn't an animal or a bird within 10 miles. Even the spider was scared.

FAX

Wolf spiders' eyes reflect like an animals at night. So if you hold a flashlight up to the side of your head and shine the beam in the direction of your eyes, you can see a little twinkle reflection from their eyes. You can see them from 20 feet away. Next time you're out camping, just take a little walk around and look for spiders that way. You'd be amazed at how many are cruising around.

I did this little trick out camping with friends once, and after showing them dozens of wolf spiders within about 15 feet of the tent, all the females and one male ended up sleeping in their car.

But they really are harmless to humans. And so cute when they're little...

http://kaweahoaks.com/html/spider_wolfmommy2.jpg

[Mr_Tomahawk]

They look like wolf spiders (non-poisonous, track and overpower their prey). :shrug:
I'm with you, spiders eat the stuff that really creeps me out, like roaches.

"non-venomous"

Sorry. That just bothers me for some reason. Goes for snakes too.

Poisonous -/= Venomous

[Bwana]

http://www.bugsmart.ca/images/products/15.jpg

http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_images/Florida-Wildfire.jpg

http://www.veteranstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Nuclear-explosion.jpg

[Frazod]

Spiders get a bad rap. So do Snakes.

Spiders kill annoying bugs.

Snakes kill annoying rodents.

Spiders and snakes didn't combine to kill 2/3 of the world's population, but rodents and annoying bugs united to do exactly that. THAT is scary!

Cats fall into this category as well. During the dark ages, the ignorant peasants thought cats were witches' familiars and killed them in massive numbers. And of course, without the cats to control the rat population, there were then rats everywhere, carrying the fleas that spread the plague.

It really is amazing that we have survived as a species.

[Rasputin]

http://img.tapatalk.com/a6898d69-f9f1-d46f.jpg

R.I.P.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Heh. I spotted a huge fluffy one in my garadge one night and smacked it with a broom . Then I realized it was loaded with babies and they were EVERYWHERE . I grabbed the gallon of "home defense" and surrounded them before they could get under the walls. My god that was horrible !

[Phobia]

I actually like spiders. I'll let them live until the wife cuts me off.

[Bwana]

I actually like spiders. I'll let them live until the wife cuts me off.

I don't mind them, but I would not be happy with that many of the little bastards, zipping all over the place. :shake:

[Phobia]

I don't mind them, but I would not be happy with that many of the little bastards, zipping all over the place. :shake:

Indeed.

[JD10367]

At least they weren't camel spiders.

If you hate spiders, do not Google camel spiders. You won't sleep tonight if you do.

[Iowanian]

napalm that sonnabitch

[notorious]

Heh. I spotted a huge fluffy one in my garadge one night and smacked it with a broom . Then I realized it was loaded with babies and they were EVERYWHERE . I grabbed the gallon of "home defense" and surrounded them before they could get under the walls. My god that was horrible !

I've knocked one out of the way when I was changing oil, and when I did it looked like someone knocked over a pepper shaker.


The pepper moved.........and so did I.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Suddenly, my skin crawls....

[Extra Point]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4JMXJQSA7bI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Mr. Laz]

These


*shiver* :eek:

um ... so why did this post get an infraction?

:spock:

[Dr. Gigglepants]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SqZNMvIEHhs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Phobia]

um ... so why did this post get an infraction?

:spock:

You quoted a filter evasion. Just edit your post like the instructions say, please.

[Gonzo]

At least they weren't camel spiders.

If you hate spiders, do not Google camel spiders. You won't sleep tonight if you do.

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/60500/Camel-Spider-60676.jpg

[FAX]

Is it just me, or is the "meme" thread thing all busted to hell and gone?

FAX

[CoMoChief]

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/60500/Camel-Spider-60676.jpg

ROFL

[Phobia]

Is it just me, or is the "meme" thread thing all busted to hell and gone?

FAX

It's fixed now.

[BillSelfsTrophycase]

Fuck spiders

http://www.myfacewhen.net/uploads/2029-kill-it-with-fire.jpg

[J Diddy]

Cats fall into this category as well. During the dark ages, the ignorant peasants thought cats were witches' familiars and killed them in massive numbers. And of course, without the cats to control the rat population, there were then rats everywhere, carrying the fleas that spread the plague.

It really is amazing that we have survived as a species.


Huh, never thought of that before. You'se a wise man mr. zod.

[J Diddy]

I sure am glad I'm in kansas and not australia.

[pr_capone]

At least they weren't camel spiders.

If you hate spiders, do not Google camel spiders. You won't sleep tonight if you do.

http://www.deviantart.com/download/157774895/Camel_Spiders_by_Ameme_Jones.jpg

and what they can do... CHECK YOU BOOTS MOTHER ****ERS!

http://www.camelspiders.net/toebite.jpg

[PornChief]

I live about 70 k's outside Wagga, there's still water everywhere but we're ok, water came about 2 inches short of coming in the house. My garage is a bit of a mess though but everything expensive is off the ground at least.

[pr_capone]

LMAO

Hey... you guys go clear that building. It's full of guys with guns that want to kill you and the place is likely booby trapped.
http://www.morethings.com/fan/bill_murray/stripes/bill_murray-stripes1981-1450.jpg

Yes Sir!
http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/1/12/128762716045275277.jpg

Oh, and there may be camel spiders in there as well.
http://www.morethings.com/fan/bill_murray/stripes/bill_murray-stripes1981-1450.jpg

Wait... what???
http://i.imgur.com/vThtl.jpg

[Buehler445]

Snakes. Must. Die.

I have copperheads and rattlesnakes on my farm and if it was up to me they would all die.

Fuck Rattlesnakes. I keep bullsnakes around. They're supposed to kill rattlers. But guess what else kills rattlers. THIS FUCKING GUY.

I live about 70 k's outside Wagga, there's still water everywhere but we're ok, water came about 2 inches short of coming in the house. My garage is a bit of a mess though but everything expensive is off the ground at least.

Glad you're OK. Did it flood many crops?

[Otter]

I'd roll around in the webs until I looked like a mummy then go scare the neighbors. That's fucking cool.

[PornChief]

crops? nah, the harvest is done, it's all wheat and sheep out here. i can't go to work though since I work at north wagga which is the flood plain. It's just a big lake over that side. happens every couple of years, no biggie.

[WhiteWhale]

Snakes. Must. Die.

I have copperheads and rattlesnakes on my farm and if it was up to me they would all die.

Well, those do pose a threat.

Bullsnakes are a blessing though. They're pretty docile to humans and they eat rats.

[redfan]

I live about 70 k's outside Wagga, there's still water everywhere but we're ok, water came about 2 inches short of coming in the house. My garage is a bit of a mess though but everything expensive is off the ground at least.

Glad to hear it. Floods can eat my shit.

[kepp]

**** that, burn it all to the ground. I won't be able to sleep tonight.

This...holy crap. Kill them with fire.

[Radar Chief]

"non-venomous"

Sorry. That just bothers me for some reason. Goes for snakes too.

Poisonous -/= Venomous

:facepalm: I knew that, it just didn’t come out that way.

[Amnorix]

Spiders get a bad rap. So do Snakes.

Spiders kill annoying bugs.

Snakes kill annoying rodents.

Spiders and snakes didn't combine to kill 2/3 of the world's population, but rodents and annoying bugs united to do exactly that. THAT is scary!


Bats are in this category too as a huge, creepy thing that people REALLY hate but which are really harmless 99.9% of the time and do good things in terms of controlling harmful insects, etc.


Which is nice and all, but I still dont' want them using my house as theirs...


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CMjzYb98M5g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[siberian khatru]

I really need to stop clicking on this thread.

[Radar Chief]

Bats are in this category too as a huge, creepy thing that people REALLY hate but which are really harmless 99.9% of the time and do good things in terms of controlling harmful insects, etc.


Which is nice and all, but I still dont' want them using my house as theirs...


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CMjzYb98M5g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

We’ve put up bat boxes to try and lure a few in.
Believe me, in Kansas bats are your friend.

[Mr. Laz]

We’ve put up bat boxes to try and lure a few in.
Believe me, in Kansas bats are your friend.
the same

[Frazod]

the same

Seriously. My property adjoins federally protected wetlands, and when summers are really hot and humid I can't even open the door to my deck without getting bug stormed. I wish I had a 1,000 of the damn things living in my roof.

[Radar Chief]

Seriously. My property adjoins federally protected wetlands, and when summers are really hot and humid I can't even open the door to my deck without getting bug stormed. I wish I had a 1,000 of the damn things living in my roof.

Most of these are a little bigger than what I put up, but we haven’t gotten any to move in yet either so I may be building/buying one of these for a more enticing home.

http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp

Bats are good neighbors to have around. A single brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour. They are a great natural pest controller.

[Frazod]

Most of these are a little bigger than what I put up, but we haven’t gotten any to move in yet either so I may be building/buying one of these for a more enticing home.

http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp

Great idea, but I doubt if the condo association would approve.

[Nzoner]

The wolf spiders in south Kansas/North Oklahoma grow pretty large. We are talking the size of a Compact Disc big.

When the mrs and I were first married we lived in a mobile home out in the country and late one night I was lying on the couch(mrs asleep) with no light but the tv glow.As I'm lying there I see a big ass shadow creeping on the carpet and immediately think a rat or large mouse.

Anyhow,I slip off my shoe thinking I'll nail this mother and then reach for the lamp.As soon as the light goes on and shoe ready I see a very large wolf spider that bolts for cover under the chair and let out a very loud,"OH SHIT!" :eek:

Scares the crap out of the mrs and she starts down the hall and I'm warning her to get back in bed and telling her what was in the house.She comes strolling in the room and is like really,a spider and you're freaking out.

Long story short,I refuse to go to bed with that thing in the house and after the furniture is moved and finally overturned she corners the monster with a broom and I think she's going to kill it,but no,she's actually able to get it outside and I get the :rolleyes: from her.

[Rain Man]

I know that I should like spiders, but I just wish they were a little more friendly looking.

A few months ago I was getting ready to go to bed, and there was a little jumping-type spider up on the ceiling, maybe about the size of a nickel or a quarter. He was partly in the gap between our ceiling and a recessed light fixture, and it was going to be a pain in the neck to kill him, so I thought, "Y'know, I'm going to live and let live. He'll go back up into the ceiling and kill other critters that might be trying to get in".

I woke up the next morning, shifted around a bit, and thought, "What's that tickling my leg?" That prefaced an epic battle of trying to kill this thing while it was running around on top of me.

NEVER trust a spider. NEVER.

[siberian khatru]

I know that I should like spiders, but I just wish they were a little more friendly looking.

A few months ago I was getting ready to go to bed, and there was a little jumping-type spider up on the ceiling, maybe about the size of a nickel or a quarter. He was partly in the gap between our ceiling and a recessed light fixture, and it was going to be a pain in the neck to kill him, so I thought, "Y'know, I'm going to live and let live. He'll go back up into the ceiling and kill other critters that might be trying to get in".

I woke up the next morning, shifted around a bit, and thought, "What's that tickling my leg?" That prefaced an epic battle of trying to kill this thing while it was running around on top of me.

NEVER trust a spider. NEVER.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyf9wVIUDN0/TlLLa8hpf8I/AAAAAAAABic/f_ADlpZUuM0/s1600/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-08-21%2Bat%2B9.41.28%2BPM.jpg

[Bambi]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SqZNMvIEHhs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

great track

[notorious]

Around October, on the highway between Ashland and Coldwater, Ks. there are thousands of "leafs" that appear to be blowing across the road.


"Leafs"......nope. They are wolf spiders. :eek:

[Radar Chief]

Towards the end of an unsuccessful Friday Night fishing expedition I decide I’m tired of feeding my bait to the turtles one piece at a time, pack my gear in the Jeep and head for home. Only, I’m not really in a hurry to get home so I take this old trail not many know about that follows some old train tracks, long since removed, behind the water treatment plant.
As I’m driving this trail I notice that I’m driving right through huge spider webs that stretch completely across the path, and that as my headlights hit the spiders in these webs they spread their legs out and are the size of a drink coaster. So I’m driving this path catching spiders in my tow hitch (picture of Jeep for reference):
http://i39.tinypic.com/wqsb4z.jpg
And I start thinking, “I wonder where all those spiders are going” but beyond that don’t give it much more though, drive on home and unpack my fishing gear.
Next morning I get up to find my Jeep looks like the tree in the OP, covered in spider webs, all in and throughout the roll cage. I grab a broom and start sweeping. I knock 30 some spiders out the first go. A dozen or so an hour later and had to hit it twice again the next day before I got rid of them all.
Interesting thing is every single one of them was one of these:
http://www.acloserlookphotography.com/galleries/Spiders/Barn/BarnSpider_5475.jpg
A barn spider.
They must really like stretching a web across paths.

[Radar Chief]

Around October, on the highway between Ashland and Coldwater, Ks. there are thousands of "leafs" that appear to be blowing across the road.


"Leafs"......nope. They are wolf spiders. :eek:

I’ve seen tarantulas do migrations like that too.

[notorious]

I’ve seen tarantulas do migrations like that too.

They might be considered Tarantulas. They have a greyish color compared to the brown/black color out where I live.

[notorious]

Towards the end of an unsuccessful Friday Night fishing expedition I decide I’m tired of feeding my bait to the turtles one piece at a time, pack my gear in the Jeep and head for home. Only, I’m not really in a hurry to get home so I take this old trail not many know about that follows some old train tracks, long since removed, behind the water treatment plant.
As I’m driving this trail I notice that I’m driving right through huge spider webs that stretch completely across the path, and that as my headlights hit the spiders in these webs they spread their legs out and are the size of a drink coaster. So I’m driving this path catching spiders in my tow hitch (picture of Jeep for reference):
http://i39.tinypic.com/wqsb4z.jpg
And I start thinking, “I wonder where all those spiders are going” but beyond that don’t give it much more though, drive on home and unpack my fishing gear.
Next morning I get up to find my Jeep looks like the tree in the OP, covered in spider webs, all in and throughout the roll cage. I grab a broom and start sweeping. I knock 30 some spiders out the first go. A dozen or so an hour later and had to hit it twice again the next day before I got rid of them all.
Interesting thing is every single one of them was one of these:
http://www.acloserlookphotography.com/galleries/Spiders/Barn/BarnSpider_5475.jpg
A barn spider.
They must really like stretching a web across paths.


Yikes.

[Radar Chief]

Yikes.

I’ve got a buddy that lives in Lawrence, likes to ride the bike trails around Clinton Lake and he’s had many a run in with the same type of spider for the same reason, for some reason they love spreading a web across paths. He says the spider invariably ends up being right at face level as he’s tearing through their web. :eek:

[notorious]

I’ve got a buddy that lives in Lawrence, likes to ride the bike trails around Clinton Lake and he’s had many a run in with the same type of spider for the same reason, for some reason they love spreading a web across paths. He says the spider invariably ends up being right at face level as he’s tearing through their web. :eek:

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lsfaof7Ski1qzh54m.gif

[Lzen]

Ewww, that's freakin' creepy.