# What is the strongest naturally-occurring adhesive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 13, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674 "2012-03-13T18:39:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/1 "2012-03-13T18:39:27Z")
Let’s say I’m deep in the jungles of [wherever the strongest natural adhesive is], and I need to MacGyver up a contraption that involves a lot of sticking things to other things. The nearest Home Depot is over 1000 miles away, so I need to come up with some other method of bonding the things together with an adhesive. What would I use? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/2 "2012-03-13T18:56:32Z")
Some biological glues are incredibly powerful, but they’re produced in minute quantities by insects and molluscs, so good luck in using them. Casein glue is strong, but it needs milk. If you’re in the wild, you probably won’t get that. Hide glue is of ancient vintage, msade from hides and other parts of animals. This requires cyou to catch a relevant beast and butcher it. Probably the easiest thing to go for is gum from various trees – things like Canada Balsam. Thick, viscous, and tenacious liquids that take time to dry, but for a hard seal. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/3 "2012-03-13T19:14:04Z")
[Barnacle](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/12/011219062137.htm). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/4 "2012-03-13T19:14:09Z")
[Strong interaction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_interaction)? Granted, it’s not much use at the MacGyver level. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/5 "2012-03-13T19:17:11Z")
Garlic. Smash it and it will get pretty sticky. ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/6 "2012-03-13T19:34:09Z")
You can make glue from [pine sap and charcoal](http://willowhavenoutdoor.com/willowhaven-videos/how-to-make-pine-resin-glue/). ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/7 "2012-03-13T22:46:42Z")
Starch-based glues are not naturally occurring… but they could be produced from relatively common components. Here’s [a website](http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-pinata/step2/The-glue/) that shows how sugar, corn starch and water can be boiled up to make the paste used in pinatas. [This site](http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/013_02/013_02.html) explains how to use finely ground rice flour and water. This would not be McGyver-able in a matter of minutes, but it should be achievable within a day, even if you have to start by locating and grinding a starchy grain or vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/8 "2012-03-14T01:30:03Z")
Dog spit. You ever try to clean a dog bowl? It takes a lot of elbow grease! ---
**Author:** ![Khristy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@Khristy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khristy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/9 "2012-03-14T04:49:58Z")
Jizz is pretty damn sticky. ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/10 "2012-03-14T18:52:56Z")
> **[BBC NEWS | Health | 'Nature's strongest glue' found](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4895844.stm)** > > Scientists believe a bacterium that lives in rivers, streams and aqueducts could be used as a medical adhesive. > [@](#): > > Scientists believe a bacterium that lives in rivers, streams and aqueducts could be nature’s strongest glue. > The US team hope the bacterium, Caulobacter crescentus, could be mass produced and used in medicine perhaps as a surgical adhesive or dental glue. > > Indiana University researchers found it withstood a stress of five tons per square inch. Not exactly easy to harvest, though. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/11 "2012-03-14T19:00:26Z")
Egg residue is damn tenacious, and fairly easy to find in the jungle. - **purplehorsesehoe** , who ALWAYS puts the dishes from eggy meals into the sink to soak immediately ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/12 "2012-03-14T20:23:09Z")
Pine pitch? ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-strongest-naturally-occurring-adhesive/615674/13 "2012-03-15T08:39:07Z")
Conifer pitch works, sort of, but is really not strong at all. Even ice holds better, while hide glue is some six to seven times stronger. Pitch is useful, however, for water- and fray-proofing all sorts of lashings made with natural, hydroscopic fibers, or water-soluble glue lines (such as hide glue). Hide glue can be made from sundry animal scraps (mammal skin, fish skin, tendons, fish bladders etc.) using a simple bark or paper container and a little heat - it’s plenty McGyverish.