Hungry Spiders Infest CTA Train Stops

CHICAGO (CBS)--Most CTA riders will agree public transportation has its share of creepy experiences, but a new nightmare has arrived in the city's "L" trains.

Eight-legged arachnids are hitching CTA rides this fall season, horrifying riders who have turned to the internet to complain about creepy critters moving into train cars.

Evidence of this year's above-average spider population is visible at CTA stops across the city, including the Damen Brown Line stop, where one CTA customer complained about a spider infestation.

"That's all you see--spiderwebs," said CTA rider Zaporah Anderson.

Where there's a web, there's sure to be a spider nearby.

Why are spiders suddenly nesting in the CTA? Pest extermination expert Kevin Connelly says they left their summer residences at the lakefront after the food supply--mosquitoes--ran low.

Now that the weather is getting colder, the pesky little critters are moving around in search of new food sources.

"They get knocked out of those perches up high, (and) they come down and they swing right in front of people," Connelly said.

The CTA has logged 11 spider complaints this year, a spokesperson said. That's compared to 10 last year.