Common Wall Spider (Brigittea civica)

• Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
• Phylum: Arthropods (Arthropoda)
• Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
• Order: Spiders (Araneae)
• Family: Dictynidae (Colour spiders)
• Genus: Wall spiders (Brigittea)
• Species: Common Wall Spider (Brigittea civica)

Size:

• Females: 2.3 - 3.5 mm
• Males: 2.3 - 3.5 mm

Look:

• Forebody: Dark brown covered with white hairs
• Abdomen: Light brown with a dark brown longitudinal stripe on the upper side and covered with white hairs
• Legs: Light brown in color

Life cycle:

• The common wall spider lays its eggs in well-protected areas in spring. The spiderlings hatch after a few weeks and initially stay close to their mother.

Network:

• Network locations: Weather-protected walls, house walls and building crevices

Nutrition:

• Protein-rich food: Insects

Behave:

• In spring, wall spiders build their webs, preferably on house facades protected from the elements by a windowsill or roof. Flying insects land on the house wall and become entangled in the webs; the spider seizes this opportunity and paralyzes its prey. The web is rendered unusable by the dirt and dust it stirs up, and the spider abandons the nest and builds a new one. What remains is a black, dirty clump that is considered an eyesore.

No danger:

• The wall spider poses no danger to humans.

Appearance:

• The fishing nets may be perceived as disruptive.

No disease transmission:

• No known cases of disease transmission

House and garden:

• When choosing the facade, avoid rough textures and colors like yellow and white.
• Do not illuminate the facade

Existing building:

• For existing buildings, targeted, weather-protected areas can be treated preventively by a pest control professional. This is best done in spring, before the first netting is erected.