Giant Spiders Dropping from the Sky in the Spring

You know, something to look forward to.

It sounds like the makings of a nightmare of horror film. The University of Georgia announced last week that an invasive species of spider is expected to “colonize” the entire East Coast this spring by “ballooning” down from the sky. Basically, they use their silks to carry them across the wind to new locations.

According to Axios, these large Joro spiders — millions of them — are expected to appear up and down the East Coast as early as May. These spiders can tolerate cold weather and potentially survive the weather of the northeast.

Interesting facts:

• The Joro spider is native to Japan but began infiltrating the U.S. in 2013, concentrating mainly in the southeast, more specifically Georgia. But thanks to ballooning, they have a tendency to travel…far.
• They are bright yellow, black, blue, and red and can grow up to 3 inches.
• They are harmless to humans due to the fact their fangs are too small to break human skin.
• Their life cycle begins in early spring, then they grow larger in June and are often seen in July and August.
• They’re named for Jorōgumo, a creature of Japanese folklore that can shapeshift into a woman or spider before killing its prey.

So are we afraid of these creepy spiders dropping from the sky come spring? A little bit. But a reminder, we never laid eyes on a murder hornet – thank God!

image via https://www.ecology.uga.edu/