Trees Being Wrapped in Giant Spider Webs in Pakistan

[The One]

Something different

The people of the Sindh region of Pakistan aren’t the only ones who have been forced to seek higher ground. With more than a fifth of the country submerged, millions of spiders climbed into the trees to spin their webs.

The result is a beautiful, if not also a little creepy, collection of cocooned trees.

The good news: The spiders may be reducing the spread of malaria. According to Wired and the DFID, the spiders’ massive webs are likely capturing malaria-spreading mosquitos, thus preventing the disease from spreading.

This would be something of a blessing for the people of Sindh, who are facing so many other hardships after the floods. With all that standing water, an outburst of malaria had been a very real concern.

More at Dateline Zero http://www.datelinezero.com/2012/01/27/trees-covered-by-giant-spider-webs-in-pakistan/

http://www.datelinezero.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/nko864.jpg

http://www.datelinezero.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bh7.png

http://www.datelinezero.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/bh8.png

[NeverMind]

Nature works in wonderful ways. :)

This is somewhat off-topic, but many don't know that spider webs contain "penicillin" ( to keep the story short - it's more complicated than that, of course), which may have been the reason why spider webs were mentioned in so many recipes for witches brews. :-)

[Cidersomerset]

ThanksTheone.... amazing photos and shows natures ingenuity...

[BestLion]

This just goes to show that the ecosystem is for our benefit, these spiders are helping to destroy malaria. Same with the bees that are now in a die off state, they are very useful for pollinating.
Those are some massive webs, and note a spiders web the material is very strong they use black widows web for sights on sniper rifles in the US Army.
This is as strange phenomenon and such huge webs..just weird. It also must be 1,000s of spiders working in a colony together to create such webs.

[truth4me]

great pictures....

[Ammit]

Thanks for sharing but I am sure this was covered before, I think comments ranged from ` spiders are sensitive and know something is coming so are preparing` . This to be on topic again though as we may get a broader impression from this 2nd time around.

[andrewgreen]

I don't think the spiders are working together more competing for space in the tree but still co-existing, probably a lot better than humans..

[778 neighbour of some guy]

WOAAH, thats incredible logical from the spiders point of view, good deal of fresh drinking dew collection system too. Put a tarp under the tree in the morning, kick the tree and voila, three cups of potential tea to help you get through the day.

[Miller]

I heard that spiderweb contains a substance that is very effective in stopping bleeding and preventing infection.

[toad]

That is almost surreal looking, I wonder how many spiders are estimated in one of those trees.

[BestLion]

This guy explains it pretty well, more less flooding lead the spiders to climb the trees
Lk9WycQh2HU