Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode Title: Can a spider eat a wasp?
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Molly Bloom
Kid Co-host: Kian from Bloomington, Indiana
Guest Expert: Dr. Paula Cushing, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Episode Overview

This episode tackles a listener’s question: Can a spider eat a wasp? Host Molly Bloom and kid co-host Kian explore the fascinating and sometimes fierce relationship between spiders and wasps, guided by Dr. Paula Cushing, a spider expert. The conversation weaves through spider and wasp facts, food webs, eating habits, spectacular species showdowns, and why these tiny creatures are important and intriguing.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction & Animal Anatomy Confusion (00:19–03:07)

• Friendly banter about octopuses’ arms vs. spiders’ legs, and quirky thoughts like “what if humans called noses blowholes?”
• Molly and Kian joke about language and animal parts: “Next time I have a cold, I’m gonna say my blowhole is runny.” (B, 01:11)
• Segue into the episode’s main question, introducing Kian.

Meet the Co-host: Kian (03:29–04:36)

• Kian shares he’s moving to India, looking forward to “the food and seeing my family and playing on my Nintendo Switch and being rich.” (Kian, 03:52)
• Describes a favorite Indian sweet: “motichiulados... small little orange balls and they're just so good.” (Kian, 04:23)

The Big Question: Can a Spider Eat a Wasp? (04:39–05:47)

• Kian’s curiosity stems from knowing about “really big spiders” and that “wasps have really nasty stings.”
• Predicts: “I think a spider could eat a wasp.” (Kian, 05:37)

Spider vs. Wasp: Who's Who? (05:50–08:38)

• Fun, energetic match-style introductions for wasps and spiders.
• Wasps: Not to be confused with bees—usually slimmer and less fuzzy. Some are tiny (fairy wasps) and some have “serious stingers”.
• Spiders: All venomous, make silk. Some trap prey in webs, others are ambush hunters.
• “Some larger ones have been spotted catching and eating birds.” (Announcer, 08:06)
• Spiders can “surf the World Wide Web”—ballooning on silk.

Expert Answers with Dr. Paula Cushing (09:09–15:02)

Can spiders eat wasps?

• “You bet! Spiders can eat wasps and wasps attack spiders. [...] They have to be really careful.” (Dr. Cushing, 09:20)
• Spiders quickly wrap wasps in silk to prevent being stung, then inject venom through the silk barrier.

How do spiders eat?

• Spiders can’t chew. They use venom and silk, then “vomit” digestive enzymes onto prey to liquefy it.
• “Spiders spit up enzymes onto their prey and that melts the prey until it’s a slushy bug milkshake. Then the spiders just slurp it up.” (A, 11:38)

Are there bugs spiders can't eat?

• Generally, if a spider can catch it, it can eat it, but they tend to avoid ants (which can sting or attack in groups).
• Some spiders specialize in eating specific prey, even evolving to live with (and eat) ants!

Dr. Cushing's research passion:

• Explains fascination with spiders that live inside ant colonies, eating the ants—a wild case of co-evolution.

How she got interested in spiders:

• Started in insect zoo at Smithsonian, inspired by hands-on experience with arthropods.

Listener Q&A & Mystery Sound (15:13–17:43)

• Summary of the key answer: "Spiders can eat wasps." But also, “some wasps eat ants and some ants let wasps live inside their colonies.” (A, 15:13)
• Kian submits his generation’s new name: “Generation Captain” because “another name for Alpha is Captain.” (Kian, 17:21)
• Listener engagement with send-in questions and mystery sound guessing.

Wasps That Eat Spiders (18:03–21:27)

• The flip side: “There are wasps that eat spiders. And these wasps are called...spider wasps.” (B/A, 18:13–18:24)
• Special mention: tarantula hawks—giant spider-hunting wasps the size of Hot Wheels cars.
• In South America: “In Venezuela and Colombia, some spider wasps are called mata caballos [horse killer]...In Brazil, they’re called throat lockers.” (A/B, 19:30–19:49)

How spider wasps hunt: (20:09–21:24)

• Female hunts, paralyzes spider with sting, drags it to nest, lays egg on the spider.
• “As it grows, the baby spider wasp keeps eating the spider, leaving its heart and brain for last. So the spider will stay alive as long as possible while it’s being eaten.” (A, 21:02)

Creative Spider Hunting Methods Game Show: "Spidey Sense" (23:43–26:35)

• Pirate Spiders: Trick other spiders by pretending to be prey, then attack.
• Bolas Spiders: Use a ball of sticky silk that smells like a female moth to trick male moths.
• Spitting Spiders: Spit glue-like saliva that traps prey.

Episode Wrap-Up (26:55–30:21)

• Summary:
  • “Spiders are amazingly cool creatures.” (B, 26:55)
  • “There are spiders that eat wasps. There are also wasps that eat spiders.” (A/B, 26:58/27:00)
  • “A huge variety of ways that spiders catch their prey.” (A, 27:04)
• Mystery sound revealed: it was chalk on a porch, as Kian guessed.
• “I'm gonna pretend the bucket guess never happened and that you were 100% right. Does that work for you?” “Uh huh.” (A/B, 28:20–28:25)
• Brains On Honor Roll, shoutouts to listener families from around the world.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Spiders can eat wasps, but they have to be really careful. They throw silk all over the wasp to trap it so it can’t sting.” —Dr. Paula Cushing, 09:20
• “When we eat, we chew it up and swallow it. And all the breakdown of that food happens inside our bodies. With spiders, it happens on the outside.” —Dr. Paula Cushing, 10:15 & 11:38
• “If they can catch it, they can eat it.” —Dr. Paula Cushing, 11:53
• “There are wasps that eat spiders. And these wasps are called...spider wasps.” —Molly & Kian, 18:13–18:24
• “As it grows, the baby spider wasp keeps eating the spider, leaving its heart and brain for last. So the spider will stay alive as long as possible while it’s being eaten.” —Molly, 21:02
• “Biodiversity is a wonderful and amazing thing to behold.” —Kian, 23:43

Key Timestamps

• 00:19–03:07: Fun intro, anatomy naming confusions
• 03:29–04:36: Meet Kian, kid co-host from Indiana/India
• 04:39–05:47: Introducing the episode question
• 05:50–08:38: Meet the contenders: wasp vs. spider facts
• 09:09–15:02: Dr. Paula Cushing answers: spiders eating wasps, spider eating habits, evolutionary tricks
• 15:13–17:43: Follow-up questions, listeners, and mystery sound
• 18:03–21:27: Wasps that hunt spiders—tarantula hawks, spider wasp life cycle
• 23:43–26:35: Game show “Spidey Sense”—weird ways spiders hunt
• 26:55–30:21: Wrap-up, mystery sound reveal, listener honor roll

Conclusion

This episode of Brains On! is a lively, fact-filled dive into the surprising world of spider and wasp interactions. Guided by expert guest Dr. Paula Cushing, Molly and Kian answer whether spiders can eat wasps (yes, with caution!), and delight in the spectacular strategies both creatures use to survive. Listeners come away with newfound appreciation for these creatures’ cleverness and the interconnected wonders of the natural world.

Recommended for: Curious kids, families, and anyone fascinated by bugs and the tiny dramas of nature!