Click On Detroit shares the reason we’re seeing a lot of spiders and webs in Michigan right now:
…Most spiders’ breeding seasons coincide with the transition from summer to fall. If you see more spiders than usual around your home during these months, chances are they’re mature males wandering far and wide in search of a mate. In fact, less than 5 percent (yikes) of the spiders you encounter inside your home have set one of their eight feet outside, according to Rod Crawford, Curator of Arachnids at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington.
Unlike humans, spiders are considered cold-blooded creatures since they don’t have a mechanism to regulate body temperature. When it’s cold, some spider species go through a process of cold-hardening to survive the winter. Beyond the chemical transformation in their bodies, many spiders seek shelter in piles of rocks, leaves or wood. Once snuggled up, spiders enter a slowdown state called diapause. In diapause, spiders are not completely inactive. Instead, they may emerge on warmer days to hunt and feed on any insect prey that may be active during this time.
So that’s fun 😉
David shot this in July – check out his latest on Flickr!
Michigan in Pictures 