Invasive spider from Asia taking over north Georgia
This story’s got legs.
A spider native to East Asia has made a new home in north Georgia and South Carolina.
The Joro spider was first spotted in 2014 but is now seen basically everywhere from Rome to Atlanta to Athens and even Clemson. Experts think it arrived on an industrial shipping container.
“The webs are a real mess,” University of Georgia entomologist Will Hudson said, estimating he’s killed 300 Joros on his property in Winterville. “Nobody wants to come out of the door in the morning, walk down the steps and get a face full of spider web.”
Joros measure three inches across, about palm-sized, and often have vibrant yellow and blue colors. But the spiders aren’t deadly, or even dangerous, to humans. They’re mostly just a nuisance because of their large numbers. Some scientists actually like the massive influx of Joros because they kill mosquitoes and even pesky stink bugs.
Still, the sheer volume has overwhelmed many Georgians. And other researchers aren’t sure the Joros are benefiting the environment. After all, they’re native to South Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan — though the college football is a lot better in their new home.
“I’d always err on the side of caution when you have something that establishes itself where it’s not supposed to be,” Miami University spider expert Ann Rypstra said.
Many Joros are expected to die in upcoming colder November weather, but they’ll be laying eggs for another population boom in the springtime. And the scientists agree on one thing: they’re not going anywhere.
With News Wire Services
