Leaving Pesky Spiderwebs In Your Yard May Be The Key To Attracting Hummingbirds

Spiders are helpful around the porch, patio, and yard as they eat unwanted insects, so gardeners should definitely avoid killing these eight-legged friends. However, their webs may seem a little unsightly, especially if they decorate your favorite outdoor living areas when it's nowhere close to Halloween. It may be tempting to clear up those silky webs, but they actually serve a purpose other than acting as insect traps for hungry spiders. Pound for pound, spider silk is stronger than many types of steel and absorbs more energy before breaking than Kevlar, which is known and largely used for its high-tensile strength. 

These same strength properties make spiderwebs irresistible to hummingbirds and other small bird species such as kinglets, warblers, gnatcatchers, and some vireos looking to build nests. After all, who doesn't want strong, versatile building materials for their construction projects? Leaving spiderwebs intact on the corners of your porch, pergola, and patio furniture just may catch the attention of hummingbirds that are ready for nesting. 

When it's time to make a nest, a hummingbird gathers spider silk with her beak, collecting it on both her beak and breast. She uses the spider silk a bit like sticky cordage or bungee cords to keep moss, lichen, bits of plant matter, and other nest materials in place. Some of the spiderweb silk comes in handy for securing the nest cup to the twig that houses the nest. The end result looks like a tidy and tiny, compact cup, sometimes wrapped completely in spiderweb silk. 

It's quite a spectacle to spot a hummingbird nest, and the magic of spiderwebs doesn't end there for a hummingbird nest. Once the hummingbird eggs hatch, the nest expands as the baby birds grow, thanks to the elasticity of the spider silk. It's like a self-expanding crib that cradles the young birds until they're ready to leave the nest. 

Spiderwebs also attract hummingbirds for another purpose: food. The hummingbird diet is far more than just nectar. Hummingbirds sometimes eat spiders and may steal whatever snack-worthy insects are caught in the webs. Hummingbirds that have both food and nest-building materials nearby are likely to hang around more often than in an area that has neither. Giving these buzz-worthy birds a reason to visit your yard gives you a much greater chance to see them too.