Spider Den

"A nest of filth and villainy."

- Wendy

A Spider Den is a nest in which Spiders and Spider Warriors spawn and live. Spiders emerge in search of food at Dusk and return to their Dens at dawn. The number of Spiders that live in a Den varies depending on its size (see table below). When a Den reaches its final stage, it evolves into a Spider Queen. Spider Dens are surrounded by a creep-like substance called Sticky Webbing, which slows down anything caught in it, aside from Spiders and Webber. Sticky Webbing will grow on any surface except a small area around a Rabbit Hole.

When attacked, Spiders and Spider Warriors currently inside will emerge and attack. If anything steps on the Sticky Webbing that surrounds the Den, a few Spiders might come out and investigate. If they do not encounter anything before reaching the end of the web, the Spiders will return to the Den.

It takes 3 game hours (90 seconds) for a Den to respawn a single spider. When a Den reaches the next stage, all Spiders are renewed.

Growth Cycle
A Spider Den has 3 growth stages: 5–10 days in Tier 1, 5–10 days in Tier 2, and 12.5–25 days in Tier 3. Tier 3 Dens will evolve into a Spider Queen anytime during the growth sweet spot, but evolutions seem to occur more often when the player comes close enough to witness them. When a Spider Queen spawns, she will leave behind a Tier 1 Den nearby. This new Den will grow into a Tier 2 Den in about sixty seconds real time. After wandering to a new location, the Queen will settle down, transforming back into a Tier 1 Den.

The amount, as well as the type, of Spiders spawned from a Den varies depending on the Den's Tier. Spider Warriors only spawn at Tier 2 and above. The amount of Silk dropped by destroying a Den also increases with its Tier. Tier 3 Dens will also drop Spider Eggs when destroyed, allowing new dens to be planted by the player anywhere in the world.

Hunting
A simple method to destroy any Spider Den without taking damage is to utilize Traps. After placing a few traps in a line, stand on the Webbing to attract a few Spiders. Lead them into the Traps and empty them once they are caught. Repeat until the Den is empty. The Den can now be safely destroyed.

If getting resources is not important, a Den can be set on fire directly with a Fire Dart, Fire Staff, or indirectly by creating nearby fires. The Den will burn to Ashes, but all Spiders inside the Den will come out as soon as the fire is started. These Spiders and any others that were not inside at the time will become homeless and wander about until they are dealt with. For a cleaner job, place some Slurtle Slime or Gunpowder near the Den and light it. The resulting explosion will leave behind a few Monster Meats and some Ashes.

Trivia

 * The player may find a ring of Tier 3 Spider Dens surrounding a single Den in a Forest. This is the Queens' Gathering Set Piece.
 * When a Den is being attacked by the player, it is possible for the Den to upgrade instantly and spawn more spiders. It is even possible for a Spider Queen to spawn from a den that the player has just destroyed, provided that the webbing has not yet vanished. This will result in both dropped Silk and Eggs, as well as a potential second set of Eggs from the Queen.
 * If one waits to explore the world during much later days, Tier 3 Dens and Spider Queens will appear more often.

Reign of Giants icon.png of Giants
In the Reign of Giants DLC, Spider spawns are changed to increase difficulty. During Spring, Spiders spawn more frequently and Tier 1 Dens house an extra Spider. Spiders also have a chance to drop Webber's skull, which can be used to unlock Webber.

Webber can upgrade Spider Dens by using Silk on them. It takes 5 Silk to upgrade a Tier 1 and Tier 2 Spider Den. Webber cannot upgrade a Tier 3 Den. One must wait for the Den to evolve into a Spider Queen naturally.

A Buzzard that has landed and is moving around does not trigger Sticky Webbing.

Don't Starve Together
In Don't Starve Together, one can successfully farm Spider Dens with a Ghost. When in ghost form, the player can haunt the Spider Dens and summon Spiders. If in an area with densely packed Spider nests, one can use this to their advantage by causing Spiders to be summoned and aggro onto each other. This is extremely useful if the player's friend/partner is dead and they're too weak to fight Spiders for the gland to revive them. Care should be taken on Tier 3 Spider Dens as there is a chance that the haunted den will become a Spider Queen instead. Once the Silk and Spider Glands are on the webbing, the ghost can push them towards the player allowing a revival if the alive player has enough Health to be able to craft a Heart.

Bugs

 * If a Spider Den catches fire and is extinguished, it may stop producing Spiders.