How Spiders Build Their Webs
WouterA spider’s web is a structure designed to catch prey. Spiders also build webs to help them move around. They are made of different types of silk. Each type of silk has different properties.
The sticky silk used by spiders can trap prey and encapsulate them. Spiders use different types of silk to build webs, and they combine these silks to maximize the force of adhesion. These types of webs are especially effective hunting tools. However, they can also be dangerous.
When a spider builds a web, it first rolls up a temporary spiral line. This gives the spider a scaffold to climb and provides a base for the web. Next, it attaches the silk to the starting point and reinforces the initial thread.
The spider then begins to make a permanent sticky spiral. It begins the spiral from the center and moves it outward toward the hub. Some orb-weaver spiders even build webs at night.
In order to build a web, spiders need a lot of protein. Some spiders have as many as four pairs of spinnerets.
Spiders have adhesive pads on the ends of their legs. These are designed to react to a tight line, similar to a fishing line. If a spider feels an insect moving, it will vibrate its trap line.
Once the trap line is activated, it sends vibrations to the spider’s spinnerets. Depending on the species, the spider will spin different kinds of silk. Besides using sticky silk, spiders may use non-sticky silk to wrap up prey.
