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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 6, 2007 Oh, what a tangled web they weave My son, age 6, found a dead fly in a spider web in the garage, and I explained that spiders made sticky webs to trap bugs for food. My son then asked what I thought was a good question: Why doesn't the spider get caught in its own web? -- Jeff G., Medford Good question, Jeff. You might put it this way: How does a spider walk on its own web? Very carefully. That's because the key lies in knowing where not to step. In an orb web, with spokes running out from the center, the spirals are sticky, but the spokes are not. Spiders emit "silk" from spigot-like parts on their posterior abdomens (rear ends) called spinnerets. Most spiders have six. When spiders want sticky silk, the sticky part comes out as a coating on top of regular silk. Then, when a strand is done, the spider twangs it like a guitar string, causing the stickum to bunch up into little globs along the strand. Scientists don't know why. Maybe it's stronger that way. Or maybe they just like the design. A fellow in the Arachnology Division at the Since You Asked Institute of Useless Research is working on a theory that spiders have Arachnid Olympics. They get difficulty points for the biggest flies and artistic points for the best stickum globs. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com