Confirmed: Giant Joro spiders will invade the East Coast

Giant spiders will invade the east coast of the US.

The Joro spider can use its web as a parachute.

“It has the perfect conditions to propagate.”

Just when we thought we had seen it all, a news item appears that will leave you speechless. Many people have insect phobias and many are especially afraid of spiders. With their hairy legs and beady eyes, they spark terror around the world.

Now it turns out there’s a species of arachnid that can use their web as a parachute. Experts say that, in recent years, these Joro spiders have been invading the East Coast. According to the experts, this eight-legged species has been making its appearance in Georgia for about a decade and now they’re on the move.

The invasion of the Joro spider is confirmed

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According to The Sun, the Joro spider, which many people refer to as parachuting spiders due to their unique ability to ‘ride the winds’ using their webs as parachutes, are taking over. This species is native to Asia and came to the United States about 10 years ago.

The massive legs of the so-called giant spider measure about three inches, which is roughly the diameter of a soup can. Their size and striking appearance, with bright red, yellow and black bodies, has some East Coast residents nervous.

“It has the perfect conditions to spread”

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According to researchers, the species, which is native to Asia, is believed to have arrived in the United States in shipping containers a decade ago. Homeowners in Georgia are already encountering their huge golden webs and scientists from the University of Georgia released a study that says they are poised to spread up the entire East Coast.

Benjamin Frick, co-author of a recent study on the Joro spider invasion, told South Carolina NBC affiliate WYFF, that so far they can’t do anything to prevent the spread of this species: «It doesn’t have anything that’s controlling its population size in the new habitat, but it has perfect conditions to spread.”

Joro spiders were first seen in Georgia

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Frick and his colleagues even conducted an experiment that involved briefly exposing spiders to subzero temperatures. They concluded that the spiders will spread along the East Coast due to their ability to survive the cold. This could happen possibly in May or early June, according to The Sun.

It is worth mentioning that these arachnids were first seen in Georgia, in 2013, and researchers say they have already reached the western Carolinas. Because they have no predators and they can travel long distances on the wind, it will not take long for them to multiply and show up in more cities and states.

They’re huge!

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The female Joro spiders have bright red, blue, and yellow markings and can be up to three inches long when fully extended. These arachnids are invading homes in various parts of the country and it probably won’t be long before we see them all over the United States.

«We see natural ebbs and flows in populations of many different species that may be linked to local conditions, particularly slight changes in precipitation,» said Paula Cushing, an arachnologist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Filed Under: Joro Spider Invasion

They use their webs as parachutes

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These spiders have a very particular style, since when they are just hatched they use their webs like a balloon carried on the wind that allows them to parachute to new areas. In the same way, males also use this technique to find females. They are able to travel between 50 and 100 miles, according to The Independent.

It was further explained that Joro spiders tend to be found on the edge of forests or around houses. According to reports, they live in groups. “These are the last days and this is how I feel,” South Carolina resident Joy Brown told Fox affiliate WHNS. Filed Under: Joro Spider Invasion

“They will be here to stay”

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“I feel like the Lord is coming back, you know with species like that. I’m just scared of spiders, but I mean, still, that’s unnormal,» Brown added. Her sentiment was shared by others along the East Coast who aren’t sure what to think about the bugs.

These spiders do carry a toxin, however, the good news is that they have very small fangs, so bites probably won’t break human skin. Scientists suggest residents should learn to live with Joro spiders, noting that they hunt mosquitoes and other insects. “Like it or not, they are probably only here to stay. There will be too many of them,”, they stated. Filed Under: Joro Spider Invasion

A benefit to humanity?

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For her part, Nancy Hinkle, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, said that these Joro spiders can benefit humanity since they kill mosquitoes and biting flies. They also eat brown marbled stink bugs, which damage crops.

«This is wonderful. This is exciting. Spiders are our friends. They are trapping all the pests that we don’t want in our house.» Residents on the East Coast better get ready! Filed Under: Joro Spider Invasion