A large ‘communal’ spider web at the Lakeside Park South section of the Dallas suburb of Rowlett. (Photo : Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service/Mike Merchant)
Giant spiderwebs in the suburbs of Rowlett, Dallas are now seen enshrouding and covering the trees along one of its streets according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
The town's CA Roan Drive is now embellished in a spooky network of webs that apparently measures up to 40 feet into the trees that are now considered as a habitat for thousands of spiders.
According to urban entomologist Mike Merchant, these massive web structures are not entirely new but can be considered as a rare sight where he adds that there is a bit of a surreal quality to the webbings covering the trees.
Researchers are still determining what spider species is responsible for these massive webbings but they speculate that it could be any from the Tetragnathidae family.
Merchant further explains that most spiders are able to establish webs independently but under hospitable conditions such as an abundance of food sources like small insects that are dwelling from Lake Ray Hubbard, the species Tetragnatha guatemalensis are able to build in massive groups.
Initially, residents are freaked out by these spider webs, even alarmed and concerned about the potential dangers of spider bites and infestations however, Merchant confirms that these spiders are not at all dangerous to humans and are essentially harmless where pesticide treatment of these trees are totally unnecessary.
Merchant understands that anyone's first instinct is to run away from or burn the web homes of these spiders but this notion is wrong. He adds that these types of spiders are unusual and they are not same kind as aggressive spiders. These spiders who have spun their homes in these trees are not scientifically known to bite or harm humans.
In fact, Texas has already witnessed these webs before, where Merchant noted a giant web found in Lake Tawakoni State Park in 2007 that alarmed residents. This species is known on occasion to build webs in a cooperative and communal manner however, this is extremely rare in the United States.
