Spiders’ webs and the eight-legged critters that weave them are among the terrifying creatures on the planet. At least for certain folks. On the other hand, spider webs have different levels, and the unusual phenomenon known as “ballooning” will make you ponder twice before approaching one of these silk fortresses.
Spiders use webs to catch food and safeguard their eggs. They may also employ webs as a mode of transportation by ascending to a higher elevation. And then releasing one or more strands of silk caught by the wind and carried away. What happens, though, when spiders are forced to leave their haven on the ground? Especially, their best bet is to seek refuge at a higher height. This is known as ballooning, and it often occurs due to floods. It’s uncommon and intriguing.
The photo above was shot in Pakistan after a monsoon that resulted in heavy flooding, which drove spiders into trees and covered them with spider webs.
People in Australia saw this survival strategy in action as torrential rains, and high winds pounded sections of Victoria, causing floods and severe damage. Spiders sought to escape the floodwaters by clinging to higher ground, creating a veil-like spider web that covered highways, trees, and fields. And also, a spider web covered more than a kilometer of a road in one location.
On bigger fields and meadows, spiders may even create a vast web cover. The spiders climb grass blades instinctively and then release hundreds of meters of silk. Although this may damage the natural habitat of fields, the spiders help nearby inhabitants since mosquito breeding conditions are ideal due to increased humidity and water levels.
Yet, the higher webs are quite efficient at catching the bothersome bloodsuckers.
Nature may always amaze us or terrify us. In the case of a field or a balloon of the spider web. So, what would you do if you were confronted with one of these silk monsters?
