Move Over, Fake Spiderwebs—Nature’s Got This Covered
It’s definitely beginning to look more like fall as the leaves turn color and pumpkins and Halloween decorations begin to appear all around the neighborhood. So far— I’ve noticed fake spiderwebs, glowing pumpkins, giant dragons and ghosts, and spooky skeletons.
When I stepped outside in the fog for my early morning walk today, everything looked a little mysterious. I noticed hundreds of spider webs on the bushes and grass — real spider webs glistening in the morning mist. They were everywhere: stretched across bushes, woven through the grass, and draped over rocks like delicate lace.
It felt like nature’s version of Halloween décor — elegant, eerie, and completely unplanned. No store-bought decoration could ever match the artistry of a spider’s web on this foggy morning. However, after the sun came out and the fog lifted, the spider webs all seemed to disappear!!
But did they really disappear? I did a little research and found out.
On foggy mornings or when there’s dew on the grass, spider webs become much easier to see because moisture collects on the thin strands of silk. The tiny water droplets catch and scatter light, making the webs stand out clearly against the darker background of bushes and grass. Once the sun comes out and the moisture dries, the droplets disappear, and the silky spider webs becomes nearly invisible again.
So, it turns out that the webs are still there even when we can’t see them.! How many spiders are living in my bushes???
Each web is typically made by one spider, so in the simplest case, one web ≈ one spider.
However, many spiders abandon old webs and make new ones regularly — sometimes even daily. So some of the webs you see could be old or inactive.
Keep an eye out after a misty night or foggy morning — you might find your own patch of natural spooky Halloween magic waiting outside your door.
In the meantime, enjoy the majestic colors of the fall trees!
 |
