The Briefing Room

General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: rangerrebew on September 07, 2017, 12:37:59 pm

Title: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: rangerrebew on September 07, 2017, 12:37:59 pm: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant

11/05/2014

by Lori Zimmer

If you’re afraid of spiders, avert your eyes – a nightmare straight out of Arachnophobia was just discovered in Baltimore’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. Researchers found spiderwebs covering 95% of the building’s interior – which spans a whopping four acres – and the plant is estimated to be the home of 107 million spiders!

http://inhabitat.com/?s=baltimore+water+plant+spiders
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Snarknado on September 07, 2017, 02:05:48 pm: Wow - they should set up some webcams there...
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Oceander on September 07, 2017, 04:20:01 pm: Apparently the webs are so thick in some places that the weight has damaged parts of the structure.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: the_doc on September 07, 2017, 04:23:02 pm: Quote from: Snarknado on September 07, 2017, 02:05:48 pm
Wow - they should set up some webcams there...

Very cute idea! (Better than the average joke on TBR, I think.)
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: RoosGirl on September 07, 2017, 04:36:25 pm: (http://memecrunch.com/meme/BGR0K/oh-hell-no/image.jpg)
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: SZonian on September 07, 2017, 05:11:06 pm: I want to know who went in there and counted them all...
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Free Vulcan on September 07, 2017, 05:11:28 pm: Wouldn't want the bill for that extermination job. If I was the guy tasked to do it, I'd be pretty much 'Yep, I'm out.'
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: SZonian on September 07, 2017, 05:12:21 pm: Flamethrower...easy, peasy.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Smokin Joe on September 07, 2017, 05:26:53 pm: Quote from: SZonian on September 07, 2017, 05:11:06 pm
I want to know who went in there and counted them all...
And how much that cost....

Until the scars go away on my feet and legs (which will be never), spiders can expect no quarter from me.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Cyber Liberty on September 07, 2017, 05:45:51 pm: Quote from: SZonian on September 07, 2017, 05:12:21 pm
Flamethrower...easy, peasy.

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: aligncare on September 07, 2017, 05:48:31 pm: Unfortunately, AFSCME got to them and signed up all 107 million spiders with union membership and collective bargaining representation.

Now we'll never get rid of them.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Ghost Bear on September 07, 2017, 06:31:32 pm: (http://media.giphy.com/media/wvFrJa4aWKuvm/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Polly Ticks on September 07, 2017, 06:47:25 pm: (https://pics.onsizzle.com/my-local-super-8-is-being-rebuilt-i-didnt-know-7665078.png)
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Cyber Liberty on September 07, 2017, 07:03:10 pm: Quote from: Polly Ticks on September 07, 2017, 06:47:25 pm
(https://pics.onsizzle.com/my-local-super-8-is-being-rebuilt-i-didnt-know-7665078.png)

:rolling:
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: the_doc on September 07, 2017, 07:29:29 pm: Spiders are some of the most common critters on earth. Most folks don't realize how prevalent they are. The U of Kentucky's entomologists say that even a lovely, grassy field may contain more than a million spiders per acre. That's more than 23 per square foot.

And all spiders are venomous, even if most of them in the US are pretty innocuous for humans.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: 240B on September 07, 2017, 07:29:42 pm: I wonder how they taste?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_spider
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: aligncare on September 07, 2017, 07:38:55 pm: Serious. I was listening to NPR and a group promoting the eating of bugs and insects was on. Their argument was that bugs are tasty, nutritious, cheap, gluten-free and eco friendly. Gag.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: RoosGirl on September 07, 2017, 07:59:50 pm: Quote from: aligncare on September 07, 2017, 07:38:55 pm
Serious. I was listening to NPR and a group promoting the eating of bugs and insects was on. Their argument was that bugs are tasty, nutritious, cheap, gluten-free and eco friendly. Gag.

I will happily donate all of my share of bugs to them.
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: the_doc on September 07, 2017, 08:02:58 pm: Quote from: RoosGirl on September 07, 2017, 07:59:50 pm
I will happily donate all of my share of bugs to them.
Me, too. They don't make good barbecue (but maybe a little better than tri-tip).
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: Wingnut on September 07, 2017, 08:50:10 pm: Quote from: SZonian on September 07, 2017, 05:12:21 pm
Flamethrower...easy, peasy.

(http://discourse-cdn.global.ssl.fastly.net/boingboing/uploads/default/original/3X/f/1/f18acd547ec203168f51321592ea99e900dd1644.jpg)
Title: Re: 107 Million Spiders Found in 4-Acre Nest at Baltimore Wastewater Plant
Post by: RoosGirl on September 07, 2017, 08:57:56 pm: Quote from: the_doc on September 07, 2017, 08:02:58 pm
Me, too. They don't make good barbecue (but maybe a little better than tri-tip).

Keep falling through the slits in the grate.