The spider’s house

Early one morning, the garden is covered in dew. Tiny drops of water hang on every leaf and every blade of grass. And there, stretched between two branches, is something that sparkles like a necklace.

It is a spider’s web.

Last night, while you were asleep, a garden spider built it. She started with one thread, floating it on the breeze until it caught on a twig. Then she made a frame, then spokes like a bicycle wheel, then a long spiral going round and round. It took her about an hour.

Spider silk comes out of little tubes at the back of her body, called spinnerets. It starts as a liquid and turns into a thread as she pulls it. Some silk is dry and strong. Some is sticky, for catching flies.

When a fly lands in the web, the threads shake. The spider feels the shaking through her legs, like a phone buzzing in your pocket. She knows exactly where to go.

For its weight, spider silk is stronger than steel. If you made a rope as thick as your finger out of spider silk, it would be incredibly strong. Scientists are still trying to copy it.

There are about fifty thousand kinds of spider in the world, and more than six hundred in Britain. Nearly all of them are tiny and harmless to people. They are helpful, too: they eat flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

So the web is a marvel. But is it a good home?

The wind blows. The web wobbles. A bird flies through, and part of it tears. The rain comes, and a corner sags. A web is beautiful, but it is not a very safe place to live. It does not keep out the cold or the rain.

Lots of garden spiders simply eat their old web and spin a new one. They recycle the silk.

Muslims have a whole chapter of the Qur’an named after the spider. It says that trusting anything other than God to protect you is like a spider building a house. And the flimsiest of houses is the house of the spider.

Jewish people read about a spider’s web in the book of Job, in the Hebrew Bible. It says the hope of someone who forgets God is like a spider’s web. It looks strong, but you cannot lean on it. Another Jewish book, Proverbs, admires the little spider. You can pick her up in your hand, it says, yet she lives in kings’ palaces.

Christians remember a story Jesus told about two houses. One was built on sand, and the storm knocked it down. The other was built on rock, and it stood firm.

So what makes a home really strong? Not just walls. Not just a roof. People who love you. People who keep you safe. Being able to trust someone when the wind blows.

Next time you see a web, look closely. Admire it. Then have a think about what makes you feel safe.

Watch together

▶Don't Be Afraid of Spiders! | Amazing Animals | Backyard Science | SciShow Kids · SciShow Kids

A friendly look at spiders for children who are a little scared of them.

▶Beautiful Spider Web Build Time-lapse | BBC Earth · BBC Earth

A spider building its web, speeded up, from BBC Earth.

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