Yes, you read the title correctly….
Now, I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of spiders but I certainly don’t want them ruling the treetops and the skies… I mean, imagine a giant spider landing on your back out of nowhere….. seems like it is something out of a movie. No, thank you.
The University of Georgia reports that this will be a real-life event come the spring time. So, get your spider spray ready if you’re in the area. You’re going to need it.
Research says that Joro spiders, an invasive spider in the U.S., is expected in colonize and begin ballooning (literally, like a parachute) down through the East Coast as early as May.
The spider is bright yellow, blue-black and red and can be the size of a child’s hand. When they get to your town they’ll be in trees, powerlines and sitting on your front porch.
The good news is that they are not aggressive, rarely bite unless cornered, and that their fangs are often too small to do some damage to human skin… sometimes.
The bad news is that they are expected to survive just fine in the area.
The Joro spider is native to Japan and was first found in the U.S. in 2013 in Georgia.
Although I’m happy the risk to humans is minimal…. these are some hideous creatures that I would prefer to not have floating through the sky down into the area I live in. Researchers are pretty confident that these bad boys are here to stay. Research scientist Andy Davis has some advice for what do when they arrive.
“People should try to learn to live with them.
If they’re literally in your way, I can see taking a web down and moving them to the side, but they’re just going to be back next year”
The research team put this information out and don’t want folks going out of their way to harm them, however I’m just gonna tell you right now, if one of these things come floating down near me, I hope I have my heaviest boots on because it will be meeting the bottom of them at least 4 to 5 times.
Benjamin Frick, another researcher had additional advice for dealing with them.
“The way I see it, there’s no point in excess cruelty where it’s not needed.
You have people with saltwater guns shooting them out of the trees and things like that, and that’s really just unnecessary.”
Unnecessary? Maybe. But really, thank you Benjamin, without that statement the I never would’ve had the saltwater gun idea. That is the perfect solution. Keep a distance while you take ’em down.
The study goes onto say how the spider will adapt fine to the climate as it’s very similar to Japans. It is likely to continue to spread throughout the country by traveling on vehicles.
Watch out for these things this spring… it will certainly keep you on your toes once they start spreading around.
