A viral lie about spiders is really bugging cranberry farmers

For America’s cranberry producers, autumn is showtime. That’s when the fruits of their labor take center stage on holiday tables and Instagram feeds everywhere: cranberry cocktails, cranberry-studded scones and of course, the compulsory cranberry sauce of Thanksgiving dinner.

But over the last few years, this moment in the spotlight has been dimmed by some pervasive social media rumors.

“Everybody wants to know: ‘What about the spiders?’” says John Stauner, who hosts tours of his Three Lakes, Wisconsin, cranberry farm every fall. “It usually comes from the young ones, the ones on TikTok.”

That’s because right around the time the leaves start falling, the spider posts begin circulating.

“If you don’t want me to ruin cranberries for you, then I would swipe away,” says one TikTok that’s b