Brains On! Science podcast for kids · Brains On Universe

Can a spider eat a wasp?

February 3, 2026·30 min·2 clips

Spiders spit enzymes to melt prey into a slushy bug milkshake before slurping it up.

This episode of the science podcast for kids, Brains On!, answers a listener's question about predator-prey dynamics between spiders and wasps. Host Molly Bloom is joined by kid co-host Kion from Bloomington, Indiana, and spider expert Dr. Paula Cushing from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Dr. Cushing confirms that spiders can and do eat wasps, but they must carefully wrap the wasp in silk first to avoid its stinger. The episode details how spiders externally digest prey by injecting venom and vomiting digestive enzymes to create a "slushy bug milkshake" they can suck up. Conversely, certain wasps called spider wasps, including species known as tarantula hawks or "throat lockers," hunt and paralyze spiders to lay eggs on them. The show describes how a larval wasp then eats the still-living spider, saving its vital organs for last. A game segment called "Spidey Sense" highlights unique hunting methods, like pirate spiders that mimic trapped insects to catch other spiders and bolas spiders that use a scented, sticky silk ball to lure male moths. One surprising insight is that some spiders specialize in eating ants and have even evolved to live inside ant colonies undetected. The episode also reveals that the smallest wasps, called fairy wasps, are about as wide as a human hair. Listener Beatrix correctly identified that the show's mailbag jingle contains Morse code for "brains on." Co-host Kion shares that he is moving to India and looking forward to a sweet called *moti tuladus*. The tone is playful and educational, using humorous banter, sound effects, and a mock sports-announcer segment to introduce the creatures. The style is highly interactive, featuring listener questions, a mystery sound guessing game, and a segment where kids can rename their generation. Young listeners fascinated by bugs, predators, and nature's oddities will love this episode's gross and cool facts. Anyone seeking a deep, serious scientific lecture or who is uncomfortable with descriptions of parasitic life cycles might prefer to skip it.

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