# Spider/Web Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-web-question/503655>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 20, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-web-question/503655 "2009-07-20T18:29:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-web-question/503655/21 "2012-04-10T14:42:13Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> A spider has decided to take full advantage of this nightly smogasborg

Resistance is futile, fly. You will be assimilated into my stomach.

> **[Smorgasbord](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sm%c3%b6rg%c3%a5sbord)**
>
> Smorgasbord or Smörgåsbord (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Swedish: \[ˈsmœ̂rɡɔsˌbuːɖ\] ⓘ, lit. 'sandwich-table' or 'buttered-bread table') is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and mainly cold dishes. It assumed its present form in the 19th century, following old traditions.
> Smörgåsbord became known...

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-web-question/503655/22 "2012-04-10T15:17:43Z")

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> [@Projammer](#):
>
> …I recall hearing once that some spiders will eat their webs when they’re done with them for the ‘season’.

Gross. Don’t they know where that comes from? Besides, it’s had bugs in it.

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**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-web-question/503655/23 "2012-04-18T14:34:59Z")

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Some spiders eat their webs every morning when they take them down. That’s an awful lot of protein to just waste. Before they eat them they clean them. Others just when they do a new one. Maybe at the end of the season, although the season is usually when they die. But maybe some eat them to use the protein for egg sacs.

It is great to watch as they go around and cut out any debris, left over dinner, leaves and so on. They careful cut around the bits and let them drop to the ground. Then they eat the silk. I’ve seen lots of orb weavers eat the webs. I’ve never seen the hackle webbed weavers do it - those that make woolley webs which get full of dust, usually with a funnel entrance. But I am more than happy to hear others say they’ve seen it.

Spiders are endlessly fascinating!

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**Author:** ![kalisnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@kalisnick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kalisnick)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spider-web-question/503655/24 "2012-10-05T02:18:27Z")

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We have one that builds a very large web over our deck each evening and takes it down every morning. It’s fascinating to watch!

[![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/8459/8061381327_6e4633d545_z.jpg "jmcravens") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/88039103@N03/)

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