How Spiders Construct Their Webs
WouterSpiders aren’t exactly pleasant creatures to be around. They have sharp teeth that can easily kill their prey. They’re also known to live in crevices and small cracks. They’re also capable of producing their own silk, which they use to build webs.
In order to construct a web, spiders need a large amount of protein. These proteins are used to create the silk threads that form the web. The strength of the web depends on how strong the silk is spun.
Most spiders produce silk strands in their internal glands. These glands also have spigots, which allow the silk to be twisted and threaded. There are three pairs of glands. These glands produce basic, dragline, and viscid silk.
Spiders also have spinnerets. These are external extensions of the silk glands. They can produce two to eight spinnerets at once. The spinnerets then stream silk into the web. They are tipped with spigots that control the diameter of emerging threads.
Spiders spin their webs each night. They use their spinning ability to capture insects and other small animals that fall into the web. They also use their webs to collect dust and remnants of their food. This enables them to eat and replenish their silk supply.
Some tropical species of spiders live in large communal webs. These spiders cooperate with other members of their community to re-build the web when it falls apart. They also use their webs as hiding spots.
