With the flooding comes........

[Philippa_Harvey]

I just found this article in the news online. A completely unexpected (to me) result of the flooding in Wagga, NSW.

Personally, if I was in Wagga I'd have to pack up and leave. I can cope with a lot of things, but this part of mother nature's work just gives me awful feelings in the pit of my stomach!!!

www.
news.com.au/national/spiders-spin-wet-blanket-over-wagga-wagga/story-e6frfkvr-1226291542235

I'm not sure if I should post the link in full, but I'm hoping some watchful mod will take appropriate action if it's required (please?).

Philippa

[Jan1954]

Aaawww! Poor spiders! All that work!

I think that the webs look beautiful and am quite fond of spiders - as long as they are not of the poisonous variety.

[Philippa_Harvey]

Thanks for the edit, Kerrywood. I wondered if I'd overstepped the mark with it but wasn't sure. I'll know in future and probably err on the side of caution.

Jan, the look of those spiders in the closeup doesn't show (to my very prejudiced eye) a friendly variety. Unfortunately we do have rather a large number of nasties of the spider family here, and that being country NSW I'd almost bet on it being so in this case.

I remember once in the early 1960s when we were out shooting we were walking along an ancient dry river bed. Probably at least 10 feet deep and very, very wide. I noticed a lot of white up the sides and wondered aloud what it could be. Imagine me trying to levitate and walk about 5 feet above the ground when I was told they were funnel-web spiders' "homes" - and I had been walking over them too for what seemed to be miles without really noticing. The fact that most were "probably" no longer inhabited made not one jot of difference to me I'm afraid.

Daddy long legs I can abide, money spiders if they did what they are supposed to do are OK, but I'm afraid the rest give me the heebies!!!

The yellow stripe down my back has been fondly nurtured for the best part of my life and I am very reluctant to let any of it go.

Philippa

[spison]

What amazing images. It looked like snow!
Jane

[susan-y]

What amazing images. It looked like snow!
Jane

I thought the same, Jane! I like spiders...they are so ambitious and it does say

Mr Milledge believes the species is harmless to humans

So pretty, but it must be awkward walking through the webs.

Sue

[Philippa_Harvey]

I couldn't believe the photos when I first saw them either. It must be an isolated occurrence because the webs aren't obvious in any of the other flood photos I've seen, even though the coverage area seems to be huge.

Mr Milledge (in me own 'umble opinion) is one of life's eternal optimists!!! God love him!!!

Philippa

[DorothySandra]

I've never seen such a sight. I shudder to think of the number of spiders that must have been scuttling up from the flooded area.

I have such happy memories of that part of Australia, where I lived in my early twenties. Wagga Wagga was such a lovely town. I'm sorry to hear they're flooded.

[IreneH]

I often see spiders ballooning in autumn where I live and lots and lots of webs that appear over night after the misty days we get. But not to that extreme. Wonderful!
We have a tiny red spider mite that was introduced some years ago to help control the spread of gorse. Its the tiniest wee spider and they live colonies - thousands of them. They spin their over a bush of gorse, covering it completely, from ground level up and set about killing the bush. Then move on to the next. I find them fascinating.
Like spiders generally but hate the Aussie ones that arrive in cargo shipments. We are getting more and more of them. The white tail and the redback are starting to become a real pest.
Got bitten by a white tail last year. Was not happy about that!

[Jan1954]

Like spiders generally but hate the Aussie ones that arrive in cargo shipments.

Some years ago, as part of my job, I had to visit a banana importers. They had a designated "spider identifier" and a direct line to the insect house at London zoo!