# painting walls blue re spiders **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493 "2010-06-25T15:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/1 "2010-06-25T15:36:36Z")
I just heard an idea that some people are convinced works. They paint the upper portion of their garage walls light blue. According to the theory, spiders won’t build a web in the sky, so they don’t build where the wall is blue. Has anyone else heard this? Does anyone think it works? I might try it, just on the off-chance that it works. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/2 "2010-06-25T15:46:16Z")
Anecdotal Arachnid evidence: Doesn’t stop them from hanging out on my blue walls! They do like propane (or the stinky scent that is mixed with it). Don’t know if that helps! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/3 "2010-06-25T15:58:06Z")
I haven’t tried it, but it doesn’t make much sense to me. I’ve got a fairly standard porch, right, with uprights and a roof…of course, spiders love to make their webs there. And behind it? A bright blue sky. So why wouldn’t a spider “think” that your blue paint is really the blue sky way over yonder? As far as I know, no one’s even sure if spiders \*see \*in color, although their two largest eyes might. Mostly they rely on movement to attract their attention. ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/4 "2010-06-25T16:13:33Z")
Spiders don’t build a web in the sky because it’s impossible, not because the sky is blue. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/5 "2010-06-25T16:14:04Z")
I am pretty sure spiders will take the evidence of their feet (where they can feel the wall) over the evidence of their eyes (even if it is the same colour as the sky). However, I must post my disclaimer that I have performed no such studies on any species of arachnid. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/6 "2010-06-25T16:37:15Z")
Whoever told you this is an idiot. Spiders will build webs wherever they can, assuming the physical properties of the location are suitable - color isn’t an issue. And spiders will “build webs in the sky”, at least in a sense: [Spider ballooning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider)) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/7 "2010-06-25T16:46:48Z")
Sky spiders!!! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/8 "2010-06-25T16:47:52Z")
spiders build where there is food and suitable structure to mount on. If you want to get rid of spiders building in your garage, eliminate as much as possible insects and the food source of insects in your garage. Keep it sealed well, clean, dry, and don’t store any food/biological waste in there that insects could munch on. You still get a few, but they quickly die or move due to starvation. Outside, nothing to be done. Just sweep the webs away once a week with a broom. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/9 "2010-06-25T16:51:33Z")
I spray the garage occasionally with bug spray. Dead spiders build webs nowhere. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/10 "2010-06-25T17:56:00Z")
I say we send this one to Mythbusters. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/11 "2010-06-25T18:04:55Z")
Go for it. I’m not willing to make a new account when someone there already has my username. _pout_ Here’s where the links lead me for submitting an idea: [http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/9701967776](http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/9701967776) ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/12 "2010-06-25T19:11:25Z")
> [@LionelHutz405](#): > > Spiders don’t build a web in the sky because it’s impossible, not because the sky is blue. This is easily my favorite sentence I have read all week. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/13 "2010-06-25T19:18:28Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > As far as I know, no one’s even sure if spiders \*see \*in color, although \*\*their two largest eyes \*\*might. Mostly they rely on movement to attract their attention. (bolding mine) AAAUUUGGGH! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/14 "2010-06-25T19:38:52Z")
> [@malkavia](#): > > (bolding mine) > > AAAUUUGGGH! :eek: [Booga-booga!](http://www.eurospiders.com/spider_eyes.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/15 "2010-06-25T19:50:06Z")
I got me some of that wallpaper with the birds/flames print. The spiders don’t build their webs on it cause they hate birds. And even more they hate fire. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/16 "2010-06-25T20:01:51Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Sky spiders!!! > :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: \_Ghost spiders innnnnnn the sky…_\ ---
**Author:** ![SoulFrost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@SoulFrost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoulFrost)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/17 "2010-06-25T21:17:34Z")
Spiders? I’ve always heard that it was to keep wasps from building nests, since they think the blue ceiling is open sky. Yeah, I didn’t buy it, either. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/18 "2010-06-26T12:37:44Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > Whoever told you this is an idiot. Spiders will build webs wherever they can, assuming the physical properties of the location are suitable - color isn’t an issue. > > And spiders will “build webs in the sky”, at least in a sense: > > [Spider ballooning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider)) to be fair, he wasn’t advocating the idea, just repeating what 2 other people had told him as the reason they have a blue stripe around the top of their garages. He was making no claims to efficacy. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/19 "2010-06-26T19:34:19Z")
I heard it as wasps as well. I think that it’s a holdover from the days of whitewash and milk paint. Painting the ceiling of your porch with blue milk paint kept wasps from building nests because they don’t like they boric acid in the paint. People incorrectly assumed that it was the color that deterred the wasps. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493/20 "2010-06-27T01:30:18Z")
According to [this link](http://australianmuseum.net.au/How-spiders-see-the-world) (and it can [be infered](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_spider#Vision) by the noting that the vision of jumping spiders is better for being tricolor), most spiders probably don’t even see in color because their eyes only detect light/dark differences. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-walls-blue-re-spiders/544493.md?page=2)