Mysterious spider web strands blanket Hawke’s Bay

It might not be a world-wide web, but spiders have been hard at work covering huge portions of Hastings and Napier streets and paddocks with thick floating strands.

The slightly sticky silky strands have fascinated Hawke’s Bay residents since they began appearing overnight on a chilly Tuesday and Wednesday morning on cars, homes and poles and blanketing paddocks.

Even an expert isn’t certain just why they’ve been so busy or even what type of spider they are.

Napier man Hayden Pond said he had noticed the thread-like substance in Greenmeadows, Tamatea and Taradale.

“Napier seems to be covered in what looks like long semi-translucent web strings.”

He had spoken to a friend who had experienced a similar silk thread on his vehicle in Central Hawke’s Bay recently.

Hayden Pond has noticed a lot of silk threads across Napier he believes are made by "ballooning" spiders. Photo / Hayden Pond

Pond said the webs or strands were landing and settling on everything, but were most visible hanging off lamp posts, street signs and chimneys.

Upon closer inspection, Pond said the mystery threads he has seen at times stretched 50m in length don’t look or feel like spider webs.

“It doesn’t stretch, is very strong and fibrous, almost like fibreglass thread. Rolled up into a ball, it has the consistency of cotton string or even the adhesive removed from a label.

He had “never seen it before” but put it down to a natural occurrence.

“My question - there is 10 billion web threads, where are the spiders?”

Spider webs cover a paddock on Te Aute Rd in Hastings. Photo / Anne Bishop

Pond said he had decided to read up about the natural phenomenon and believed it might have something to do with “ballooning” spiders.

Ballooning is a term used by biologists to describe a behaviour whereby the spiders parachute in on long strands of webbing to disperse themselves.

Cor Vink, associate professor of entomology at Lincoln University, said on seeing a photo of the thread on Pond’s fingers, he couldn’t be sure of the cause or type of spider responsible.

“I’m not sure what is making that. Spiders do balloon using silk.

“It is usually seen on the ground and not in the air.”

Vink said the silk used for ballooning was typically not as thick as the thread he saw in the photo.

A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council biodiversity spokesperson said strange white strands were floating through the air or covering trees, especially at Waitangi Regional Park, Whanawhana northwest of Hastings, and on Glengarry Rd.

“We’ve had a few calls about it, and it might look a little eerie, but it’s actually a totally natural phenomenon known as ‘ballooning’.”

The spokesperson said it happened when young spiders released fine threads of silk to catch the wind and travel to new homes.

“This is normal behaviour seen towards the end of summer and start of autumn as the spiders search for somewhere new to disperse to.”

They said it happened more after rain and during warm weather which explained why we’re seeing so much of it right now.

“So don’t be alarmed, it’s harmless, it’s temporary.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.