How Do Spiders Spin Webs?

But how do spiders spin these amazing webs?

Inside the spider, silk glands store the silk in liquid form. The silk passes through the spider to special organs called spinnerets, which are located on the underside of its abdomen. During this passing, the silk gradually hardens. When the silk reaches the spinnerets, the spider removes the silk with its rear legs.

Once the spider has the silk, it sets to spinning a web. Usually, a spider will climb onto something, such as a tree or fence post, and release a thread of silk into the air. Once the thread catches onto something, the spider has the base of its web. From there, it adds more threads until the web is complete.

Did you know that not all spiders spin the beautiful spiral webs we usually think of? There are many different types of webs, including orb (circular or spiral), tangle or cob (no particular shape), funnel, sheet (flat), and triangle web designs.

Some spiders make new webs every day! These spiders will often eat their old webs to restock their silk supply.

Why Do Spiders Build Webs?

A spider web can serve many purposes.

1. Resting place. Some spiders use their webs as their homes. They might build a small burrow in the web to hide from predators or shelter from wind and rain.
2. Transportation. Some species of spiders use their silk as a parasail. These spiders release strands of silk from the spinnerets and wait for a breeze to blow. When the wind comes, the spider and its silky sail catch a ride, sometimes traveling long distances. This behavior is called ballooning.
3. Catching prey. The main purpose of a spider’s web is to catch prey. The silk that spiders use to spin their webs is sticky. When an insect flies into the web, it gets stuck, giving the spider its dinner.

God created the arachnid (spider) kinds on day six of creation. Some spiders today are venomous, but before Adam and Eve sinned, no spiders could have hurt other creatures or humans with venom. Today, they help catch other insects like mosquitoes that carry diseases and can easily overpopulate.

Though spiders can be creepy, we have no reason to fear them. God created them with exactly what they would need to survive in our fallen world, including silk-spinning superpowers.

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