New research at Oxford University shows that spider webs are not as passive as we have always thought at catching prey. The threads of spider webs are actually coated with electrically conducive glue that causes the web to pull closer to and ‘grab’ electrically charged particles, including airborne particles, droplets, and even insects.
This actually boosts a web’s effectiveness at catching passing insects. It may also explain how strands of spider webbing so quickly get dusty in homes—they apparently pull in dust and other air-borne particles that then get stuck on the sticky strands, resulting in ugly, dust covered strands.