A Nebraska man shared a creepy, crawly discovery in a basement during work. Commenters felt like the place should be set on fire.
In a viral Facebook Reels video with over 13 million views, user Shawn Douglas shared a recording he made during a regular day at work.
Except nothing about what could be seen in the video was normal.
“This is not a job if you have Arachnophobia,” the man explained while recording in a basement.
As the camera panned, the entire basement appeared to be covered in spiderwebs.
“Spiders? Yes a lot of godd*mn spiders down there,” the clip’s caption read.
Douglas also confirmed the spiderwebs were not old. In the video’s comments section, he explained what happened when he tried to brush away some of the webs.
“As soon as I started brushing shit off to work on it, big black spiders started crawling out everywhere,” his comment read. “Some were the size of silver dollars.”
Commenters were horrified
In the video’s comments section, many expressed shock and disgust.
“I have arachnophobia and I’m just as scared of the webbing almost as much as the spider,” user Marrissa Hadley commented.
Others shared GIFs of a person blasting fire, saying the basement should be burned down.
“So I’m hoping y’all burnt that down and did not release those spiders into the public,” user Boujie Saditty Blanco wrote.
“A roofing torch and a couple of propane tanks should clear that up quick,” user Daniel Denson added.
It is unclear just how many spiders were alive in the basement, but based on the amount of webs, the number appeared to be substantial.
Why do spiders like basements?
Spiders thrive in dark, damp environments and basements are especially suitable as a habitat for the 8-legged critters.
Basements often do not have much light and have higher humidity levels, especially where moisture accumulates near drains, pumps and floors.
Basements also tend to attract bugs and insects that the creature typically feeds on.
Mosquitoes, flies, ants, and other small spiders are typically found in basements and are the perfect prey for spiders to feed on.
In a part 2 video, Shawn showed viewers that spiders were, in fact, alive in the “pit” he had to crawl down to work.
Subplot News reached out to Shawn via Facebook direct message for more information about the kind of work he performs.
How to get rid of spiders in a basement?
Typically, spiders, their webs and eggs are removed with a vaccum cleaner or broom.
It is also recommended that egg sacs be completely destroyed, so the pests cannot multiply.
After cleanup, it is important to take steps to make spaces less suitable for spiders.
For example, decluttering a home or basement reduces areas where spiders can hide and thrive.
Sprays like insecticides can also be applied around the perimeter of a home, so they will be less likely to enter in the first place.
These sprays may need to be applied periodically to ensure they remain effective.
