What makes those gray strings on the ceiling in my house, things I have always called cobwebs?

Answer 1

Cobwebs are made by spiders; "cob" is derived from the Middle English word for spider, coppe, and cobweb is often used to refer to any spider web. The dusty strings that do not look like the circular Halloween spider webs, which are made by only some species, are instead probably an accumulation of abandoned draglines.

According to "Spiders of the United States," by Richard Headstrom (A.S. Barnes & Co.), "The tangled webs in our houses, often weighed with air debris and which we know so well as cobwebs, are mostly made of dragline silk."

Draglines are made by almost all spider species. A spider pays out the dragline behind it as it moves from place to place, attaching the line at intervals to any available base, using sticky disks. It is used for escaping predators by dropping gently away from a web or perch while leaving a line to climb back up. Weavers of orb webs use it as a way to detect the presence of insect prey in the web. It can serve as a bridge between trees or plants or across a stream.

Several strands of dragline silk are also spun to catch the wind when a spider feels the urge to go sailing through the air, or "ballooning." ..

Answer 2

In my opinion,

Cobwebs are made by spiders; The dusty strings that do not look like the circular Halloween spider webs, which are made by only some species, are instead probably an accumulation of abandoned draglines.

According to "Spiders of the United States," by Richard Headstrom (A.S. Barnes & Co.), "The tangled webs in our houses, often weighed with air debris and which we know so well as cobwebs, are mostly made of dragline silk."

Several strands of dragline silk are also spun to catch the wind when a spider feels the urge to go sailing through the air, or "ballooning." ..

The spiders use their saliva to build these cobwebs ,they are composed of saliva combined with dust from environment of your home.This is used to help the spider catch it's prey like a housebee and small insects.A spider also hangs on to them easily .

its dust getting stuck on spider webs, they make that one string where they go from place to place, and then they go about their buisness. Then the dust settles on the abandoned spider web.

It becomes grey with combination of dust and smoke within environment.

Answer 3

Cobwebs are kind of spider web (spider produces fluid with are like glue and they makes in string) to catch their prey. its become grey with combination of dust and smoke within environment.

Answer 4

its dust getting stuck on spider webs...you know how you see a spider just kind of come down on a string or something...well...thats what happens...they make that one string where they go from place to place, and then they go about their buisness. Then the dust settles on the abandoned spider web.
ta da!!!

Answer 5

The spiders use their saliva to build these cobwebs ,they are composed of saliva combined with dust from environment of your home.This is used to help the spider catch it's prey like a housebee and small insects.A spider also hangs on to them easily .

Answer 6

ewwww.....get a maid!