This September (2018) in Aitoliko, Greece, the beach was covered in a blanket of massive spiderwebs.

According to Maria Chatzaki, an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Democritus University of Thrace, “The phenomenon we observed in Aitoliko is not unprecedented. It is a seasonal phenomenon that occurs mainly at the end of the summer and early autumn, and is caused by the spiders of the genus Tetragnatha.”

Apparently, unusually warm weather is to blame ― or credit, depending on how you look at it ― for the phenomenon. Warm temperatures lead to an uptick in mosquitoes and gnats, i.e., delicious spider food.

“It’s caused by an overpopulation of spiders … there is an abundance of food available,” biologist Euterpe Patetsini told Greek media outlet Alpha TV.