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If you’re living on the East Coast right now, you might have heard about the Joro spider—and if you haven’t, allow us to introduce you. This (admittedly scary-looking) insect has been slowly moving up the East Coast, with sightings starting in new states this summer.
Feeling squeamish? Here’s what you need to know.
What Are Joro Spiders?
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The Joro spider is an insect recently introduced to the U.S., migrating from East Asia only about ten years ago. It has a bright red belly and neon yellow stripes on its back and legs. The webs these spiders spin can span up to three feet.
Averaging about three inches large with its bright coloring, the Joro spider may look intimidating—some spiders can span the length of a human palm.
If you’ve heard of the Joro spider before, you may have also heard rumors that this kind of spider can fly. Flying spiders certainly sound terrifying, but fortunately, Joro spiders don’t have wings.
It’s likely that this myth came from the fact that all species of baby spiders will float away from their nests via a little web balloon, which is the only time you’ll ever see them flying through the air. If you see a Joro spider, it won’t be airborne.
Are Joro Spiders Dangerous?
Fortunately for those who are about to encounter some this summer, the Joro spider is not dangerous. Joro spiders don’t enjoy confrontation with humans—if you mess with their web, they’re likely to just run away from you.
They also won’t seek you out on their own. In fact, research indicates that Joro spiders are among the shyest species of spider. So, the chances of being bitten by a Joro spider are already very low. But, what happens if you do manage to be bitten?
If you’re extremely allergic to Joro spiders, then you may need a trip to the doctor to recover from a Joro spider bite. But for nearly everyone, the bite will be completely harmless to your health. You’re likely to experience some redness and itching, though.
Fortunately, even animals don’t need to worry about being bitten—the Joro spider bite is just as harmless for pets as it is for humans. The spider doesn’t release enough venom to harm animals, as its main targets are bugs.
Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover
There might even be a small benefit to having Joro spiders taking up residence in your yard—they eat brown stink bugs, which are invasive and can cause damage to gardens and crops.
When and Where Will You See Joro Spiders?
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Joro spiders are most commonly spotted during late summer and early fall, so you can expect to see most of them in September and October. Any Joro spiders you see now will still be babies.
Their expanse range has only moved up a few states from where they can typically be found. If you’re situated on the Upper East Coast, you won’t need to worry about Joro spiders just yet. So far, the spiders are known to live in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
New sightings of the spiders have been found in Maryland and West Virginia, indicating that they may be expanding to live on the east coast. It’s likely that we’ll see them continue moving states, but they won’t be able to do so very quickly. New Yorkers, you’ll remain Joro-free for now.
So…what should you do if you see a Joro spider? The best thing to do is to just leave it alone—especially if you want your home to be free of stink bugs.
