Halloween might be a couple of weeks away yet, but we've already spotted Halloween decorations – including the fake spiderwebs pictured above – up around Sydney's streets. And while the idea of these decorations is to look scary, these fake spiderwebs can be legit scary for Australia’s wildlife. Although seemingly harmless, these synthetic webs can spin a chilling tale for small birds and insects, sometimes even ending in a deadly twist.
How come? Birds often use actual organic spider silk for building their nests, but can't tell the difference between genuine silk and this artificial webbing. This can turn into a real-life horror story if the birds get tangled up in the webs, leading to distress, injury and even death. The issue can be especially problematic for clueless chicks, as the spooky season coincides with nesting season in Australia.
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To make matters worse, these lightweight spiderwebs are easily picked up by the wind and can create further hazards for birds, microbats and insects when blown into public areas like parks and beaches. Plus it's just another synthetic material that ends up in landfill.
If you haven't put your decorations up yet, take this as a sign not to use fake spiderwebs.
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