107 million spiders infest wastewater plant in Baltimore. A 2010 paper published in the American Entomologist, revealed that experts were called to the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Baltimore for an “extreme spider” situation.
107 million spiders infest wastewater plant and story goes viral. According to a 2010 paper published in the American Entomologist, experts were called by the managers of the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Baltimore in 2009 because spiders had infested the building.
Experts said there were over 107 million spiders that had infested the wastewater plant, which was built in 1993. They believe there were more than 31,000 species of spiders in the waste treatment facility.
Among the 107 million spiders included a specie known as Long-jawed orb weaver, or Tetragnathidae. Tetragnathidae mainly live in damp areas and are known for their long slim bodies with shiny abdomens.
According to the paper, the webbing covered approximately 95 percent of the entire building. The arachnids took over the equivalent to four acres or three football fields. The etymologists wrote:
“We were unprepared for the sheer scale of the spider population and the extraordinary masses of both three-dimensional and sheetlike webbing that blanketed much of the facility’s cavernous interior. The infestation was much bigger than any other we had previously reported.”
The experts added that they believe this “extreme spider situation” should make it into the Guinness World Record book:
“(It) should be presented in a positive light as a record-breaking natural history wonder.”
According to the scientists, they were baffled by not only the size, but the thickness of the webs found at the wastewater treatment plant.
The group who visited the plant did note that the spiders were not dangerous and could be treated with basic maintenance. They also pointed to the fact that the amount of bugs the spiders had to eat was even larger.
Despite the fact that 107 million covered the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, it operated perfectly. What are your thoughts on the story of the 107 million spiders that infested a wastewater plant?
