something that has puzzled me for years

[the naturelover]

Hi, I'm sure most people have seen the fascinating speeded up video of a spider spinning a web. a wonder in itself. but the thing which puzzles me is how the spiders spin the long lines which they attach to these webs. I have seen some many feet long and quite high up in the air. do they jump from branch to branch or do they climb down one stalk and up the next? Both ideas seem frought with problems. 1 to jump this distance even for our largest spiders would be a marathon task. 2 if they climb down and up how does the thread not get tangled up. Silly I know but I would love to know how they do it. regards tn

[jeny]

They let a bit of web float off and when it catches something they reinforce it...

Spiders begin their webs with one thread, called a bridge. To start the bridge, the spider finds a suitable location, such as a tree, and climbs to its highest point. From this location, it tosses a string into the wind and hopefully this string catches another branch. If the thread catches, the spider attaches the starting point. It then walks across, letting out a looser thread below the first. It allows the thread to sag and attaches each end to the starting points, creating a V shape.
Next, the spider lowers itself to form a Y, and this creates the supporting structure. Using the barbed hooks on its legs, the spider walks across the core of the web and begins anchoring thinner frame threads at different points. The spider returns to the center, and from here begins creating radius threads around the frame threads. It now creates an auxiliary spiral from the center to the outer edges. The spider now returns, following the auxiliary spiral back up to the center, eating it as it goes and replacing it with a sticky thread. This leaves the radius threads non-sticky, giving the spider a route to walk upon.

[Jennie]

This is interesting.

So how do they start the webs inside buildings, where there are no draughts?
(Not the obvious ones, in the corners.)

Many times I have seen a spider dangling on a single thread, but even if it reaches the floor I cannot see how that could be developed into a web.

[frits_b]

I recall reading somewhere that when there is no breeze whatsoever - but remember, the threads are so incredibly lightweight, that the slightest of draught is enough - the spider attaches a thread in a high place, lets itself drop to the ground, and scurries around until it finds another vertical object, climbs up, pulls the thread taut and attaches it there.

[John_M]

I have seen them walking down to the ground and then up a nearby structure to start off their webs, but as Frits says, the slightest air movement is enough to carry a strand of silk off. It's not uncommon to see strands of silk floating around on an apparently still day. Those who take macro photographs will be aware of how even the slightest air movement moves spider silk.

[the naturelover]

My thanks to you all. this is what i realy love about wab. a seemingly silly question which has puzzled me for such a long time has been answered without sarcasm or critism. This I realy appreciate. regards tn.

[Jennie]

Thank you all for enlightening me as well!

[jeny]

You're welcome, it's nice for me to be able to answer someone's question, it's usually the other way around