Research funded by the Swindon-based Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council could explain why spiders flying on a strand of silk prefer cloudy days in spring or autumn for their travels.
The results of the study could also lead to a non-chemical alternative to pesticides in crop management.
By casting a silk thread into the wind spiders can ride the currents for distances ranging from a few metres to hundreds of miles, carrying them out of danger or into new territory.
But scientists have puzzled over why "spider ballooning" peaks during spring and autumn but declines in windy and sunny weather, when sunshine produces more updraughts helpful for take-off.
A research team developed a model showing that light breezes and moderately warm weather - typically in spring and autumn - provides the best spider ballooning conditions.
Since spiders prey on pests like mites and aphids, predicting spider ballooning peaks is important for crop management, said Dr Andy Reynolds at Rothamsted Research.
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