Why are there so many spiders in my backyard?

Answer 1

Long webs strung from trees and bushes, from one to another, are the trails left by spider(s) traveling from tree to tree or tree to bush, etc. Since they can't fly, they spin out long threads, hanging from the trail end, waiting for a breeze to take them to a new location. Occasionally, you can see a whole bunch of them at once, crisscrossing every which way. That would be when a nest of spider eggs has hatched and the little Spiders are seeking a place to set up 'home'.

Answer 2

I think spider webs are in the air because if the are low to the ground the can easily be stepped on or eaten by enemies. Anon

This is a another experience of the same phenomenon.

I can't answer your question but we and hundreds of other people experienced the same phenomenon. On a beach in Austinmer NSW Australia for hours, cobwebs appeared in the air, with tiny spiders. They were coming from the direction of the sea which made the occurrence even more weird. The spider webs were mainly single threads about a metre in length with tiny spiders on them. They were floating from a metre high in the air to about three to four metres high. The phenomenon which continued for at least 5 hours occurred about a week before Christmas 2010.

Speaking with a friend who lives in a Sydney suburb Dee Why said that she had experienced the same scenario some weeks before Christmas. When we discussed what happened both observations were surprisingly similar in all respects. I would be interested in hearing any other observations of a similar type. Ron P

Answer 3

It depends. Spiders love dark, damp and warm places. Rotting logs exposed to rain and sunlight are perfect for them. Maybe there is a lot of prey or simply there is a bush. Either way, your garden is probably a suitable home for spiders which is why many are their. If you're lucky, you could record them fighting.