SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego’s rainy winter led to a bug-infested spring which is, in turn, giving away to a spider-filled summer.
County of San Diego officials say 2019 could bring a “bumper crop” of orb weaver spiders due to an increase of its food supply.
“So, you’re probably going to be running into a lot of spider webs very soon, if you haven’t already,” said County supervising vector ecologist Chris Conlan.
Conlan has a term for what happens after a person walks into a web: the crazy spider dance.
Orb weaver spiders, which include any spider that weaves a web, are usually not harmful to people, according to Conlan. They generally don’t bite unless they’re threatened.
“A well-fed female can be a pretty imposing spider,” Conlan said to County News Center. “But they’re generally nothing to be worried about. In all honesty, if you run into their web, their general reaction is to bail off quick. They don’t like to hang around once something that’s big enough to smash through their web hits it. They know it’s not anything they want to tackle and wrap up to eat.”
Conlan recommends avoiding walking through areas spiders can use as anchor points. You can also follow his lead and walk everywhere with your hand out in front of you.
Find information about San Diego County’s Vector Control Program here.
County News Center contributed to this story.
