Indoor Observation - The next big thing in Lockdown!

Covid-19 pandemic has made everyone motionless and indolent for the past few weeks. Given the current situation of our country and the contagious nature of the virus, this locked-to-house condition might go on for a while. Hence, it would be good to keep up the momentum to stay hopeful and active.

While reading gives peace, there is something that can give unimaginable pleasure - Observation. It’s something you can do at ease without compulsion or exhaustion. Careful selection of subject is key in making your observation delightful and fun. Not to mention the patience required. Obviously, it will be good if your subject is a living creature.

Spider, Spider where are you?
Art by Anaga N

I selected a tiny but beautiful creature, the spider. One that is easily spotted in our homes and can also fascinate you with its incredible architectural skill and inquisitive self.

To start with, spiders are not insects but Arachnids. Insects have six legs and belong to the class Insecta unlike spiders which have eight legs and belong to the class Arachnida. Other species that fall under this family are scorpion, mites, ticks, etc.

Spiders are known for its fanciful architectural skill of its web construction. Weaving the silk across the two walls or branches of trees, one cannot but admire this magnificent creature. However, there is another thing to be considered here. Where do they construct webs? Why do they choose specific places?

The most common place where we can find spider webs at home is along the corners of the ceiling wall. But where exactly on the ceiling?

In my home, I used to find the webs above the tube lights, windows, the insides of the window grills, behind the curtains, below the cot, the tiny gap that separates the cot and dressing table and many such nooks and corners. We do not reach these places often and that could be the possible reason for spiders to choose them. Besides, there is another reason i.e. hunting.

Spiders spin webs to catch their prey. Flies, moths and insects get stuck to the sticky thread, thereby becoming food for these guys.

Look at the vaying shape and size!

Keeping that in mind, we can now assess the position of the webs found in your home. In my home, going by the locations listed above,

·       above the light – light attracts moths and flies

·       behind the curtains – shields a lot of mosquitoes (at least in my house)

·    window grills – one in the hallway acts as an entry point for flies and mosquitoes mainly in the evenings through the small opening created for the cable wire running through the window frame.

As you observe closely, you could witness the ingenuity of spiders by their careful selection of webs in your homes. They screen potential spots observing the movements of insects and spin their webs. They think and learn.

But not all webs bring them food. Yes! Insects are brilliant too. I have seen many webs sitting idly without any kill for days. And I have also noted the decrease in the web size over a period. Initially, I associated the decrease with the air movement caused by the ceiling fan. But Koichi Tanaka proves it otherwise. In his research paper titled “Energetic cost of web construction and its effect on web relocation in the web-building spider Agelena limbate” he points out that many spiders eat their own web instead of abandoning them, to regain the protein lost that went into constructing it in the first place.

However, there are other places like windows which we never open and lower corners of the main door, etc., where I have spotted these webs. Is this again for hunting or could there be another reason for this?

For that, we need to revisit why spiders spin webs? Besides hunting, webs are used to lay eggs, protect their food or even chase away the predators.

There it is! Spider eggs

Now tell me how many of you have spotted spider eggs? Kudos to the ones who have seen it and for others I have two words – Spot them!

Therefore, I would like to safely premise that the other spider webs spotted in my home are probably for laying eggs or a vacation spot. Those places remain undisturbed at home and they think and decide before placing their webs.

A word of caution when you embark on a house cleaning project next time, look for traces of the spiders before dusting and removing the cobwebs. Wipe out the abandoned web and not the living one i.e. with a spider inside it. It might cost them their food. And remember, a lot of energy has been invested in weaving such a complex structure so giving it a second thought won’t cost you.

Why should I save spiders?
Art by Anaga N

“Why should I save the spider?” you might wonder. Of course, it has an important role – a natural pest control – of our ecosystem. At home, it keeps the insects’ population under check and in farms it controls the population of the disease-causing pests.

However, the more important question to think here is who are we to decide whether they can exist or not? Are we superior to them in any way?

Humans are not always the measure of all things.

A famous American conservationist Cynthia Moss was asked a question – “What has a lifetime of watching elephants taught you about humanity?”

Her response to that question– “I think of them as elephants. I am interested in them as elephants. Comparing elephants to people – I don’t find it helpful. I find it much more interesting trying to understand an animal as itself.”

It’s more than just an answer. It’s a revelation. Every animal can think and learn. They have their right to exist and roam freely on earth. We, humans, can’t assume that we have the power to decide.

Afterall, we are just one among the millions of species existing on earth, not the only species.

Alright, can we spend our lockdown days productively by observing such beautiful creatures from the confines of our homes? 

What are you going to observe?