Bridge in Ohio capital is infested with thousands of spiders

AP via .newstimes.com ^ | October 23, 2015 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Main Street bridge in Ohio's capital might appear to be decked out for Halloween, but officials say the extensive webs spotted by motorists at night are real.

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

They look like orb-web garden spiders.

[ebshumidors]

We get ones that look like that here in Memphis in the fall.

[Crazieman]

I can see only one solution. Destroy the bridge.

[dfwgator]

[chimera]

Its all lit up at night and that attracts a smorgasbord of bugs for the web-weavers to snag and feast on. Just nature doing its thing. But winter is coming on so they’d better lay their eggs and make way for the next generation.

[Daffynition]

GET IN THE CAR.....IT'S SPIDERS!

[Tijeras_Slim]

There’s a scientific explanation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc

[HarleyLady27]

We got spiders in Ohio and rats in New York....what is this nation coming to:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3352190/posts

[Daffynition]

It's only a matter of time B4...

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

I am not a science denier. Thanks.

[Daffynition]

[jonno]

As that is the only pic provided by the story, it’s difficult to determine if this is an actual case of “spider infestation” - or merely more click-bait hyperbole...

[jonno]

Ok - found a video in a sub-thread:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/pages/video.html?video=/videos/2015/10/22/thousands-of-spiders-take-over-main-street-bridge.xml&cmpid=share

[Daffynition]

It's the only one I could find ...*thousands* maybe be hyperbole. I dunno.

Ohio Division of Wildlife naturalist Jim McCormac says that's evidence of good health for the Scioto River under the span.

A $35.5 million project narrowed the river for the creation of a 33-acre park with 800 trees and 75,000 plants.

McCormac says that allows for more insects in the area, and the spiders followed their food.

[bgill]

There was an invasion here like that a few years ago. Creepy.

[BBell]

Cool. Thanks for posting.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Nah. They all look like John Kasich.

[chimera]

Not so much of an “infestation” as opportunist predators taking advantage of increased prey population. That species is actually quite beneficial in keeping the insect population in check.

[Mad Dawgg]