Spiders Are Falling From The Sky In San Francisco, A Phenomenon Known As “Ballooning” Which Allows Spiders To Travel Up To Hundreds Of Miles
Spiders are probably the last thing you want to see falling from the sky, but it does seem appropriate with Halloween just around the corner.
Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area have recently reported spotting this very phenomenon. Experts have determined that the floating white clumps and wispy strands people have witnessed are indeed spiders.
This natural occurrence is called “ballooning,” which is when baby spiders use their webs to drift through the air, much like a paraglider. Ballooning happens every year and allows spiders to travel anywhere from a few feet to hundreds of miles and across oceans.
According to Fred Larabee, an assistant professor of biology at San Jose State University, baby spiders spin strands of silk shortly after hatching.
These strands get caught in the wind, which carries them to new places where they can make their homes, effectively spreading them out from their siblings so they have less competition for resources.
Aside from the wind, the spiders are also relying on electric currents to help them fly to faraway lands. The silky threads often clump together, which explains the white, cloudy masses people have seen. By the time the spiders land, they most likely will have already left their makeshift parachutes.
Ballooning can be observed in many types of spiders, including crab spiders, wolf spiders, and orbweaver spiders. In Northern California, young spiders generally make an appearance in this way during the spring and fall. But lately, more webs than usual have been observed.
Experts aren’t sure why that is, but it is believed that the heavy rains and warm temperatures California has been experiencing might have something to do with it.
The combination of the two has produced more insects, and with their food supply booming, the spider population has increased as well.
Photo 52494158 – © F11photo – Dreamstime.com – illustrative purposes only
While the webbing may appear frighteningly apocalyptic, they are not harmful in any way. In fact, you can even consider them as free Halloween decorations!
The only risk they may pose is if the spiders somehow stray too far from home and end up in an environment that is not native to them.
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