Spiders create webs to catch their prey. If a fly or another small insect gets caught in this trap, escaping from it is nearly impossible. A person can feel how sticky the web is when they sweep it off the ceiling with a broom or accidentally 'get stuck' in it in the basement. However, the spiders themselves move easily across their web. How do they manage to do this?
According to Mental Floss, spiders do not get stuck in their webs for several reasons. One of them is that not all parts of the web are sticky. Spiders apply 'glue' only to certain sections and try to avoid them while moving across the web.
Although spiders try to navigate around the sticky areas, when a prey gets caught in the web, they still need to reach it somehow. German scientists used specialized micro-videography to find out how spiders move across the sticky sections.
It turned out that every time a spider steps on the glue, it immediately scrapes the sticky substance off its leg. Additionally, the tips of spider legs are covered with a special oily substance that reduces adhesion to the glue.
Scientists are still unsure where this substance comes from. It is believed to be secreted from the spider's mouth.
Not everyone likes spiders—especially when they unexpectedly start spinning webs on the ceiling or behind the wardrobe. However, according to scientists, it is not advisable to kill or throw these arthropods outside. Killing a spider is not only a bad omen but also harmful to the home ecosystem.
