Scientists Say To Prepare For Giant Spider Invasion, See The Pics
Get ready for the next swarm of spiders to an area near you. Scientists are saying a certain species will be spreading out soon.
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Ready for spiders the size of your hand to start invading your backyard during those summer barbecues? Well, if you are living in the Northeast United States, you might want to overcome that arachnophobia right now. Because these eight-leggers could be showing up much more often in the coming years. Scientists are warning that the Joro spider is slowly making its way up the East Coast and there are definitely signs that it could ultimately end up as a major part of the ecosystem. But no worries, because these things are only about the size of the palm of an adult’s hand. No big deal. Just your standard giant spider on the way.
The Joro spider is, for right now, mostly found in Georgia and Florida though that wasn’t always the case. The species originally hails from China but (likely) thanks to increased shipping, somehow made its way to the United States back around 2013. It’s mostly stayed there ever since, but scientists are predicting they will be on the move in the coming years thanks to a couple of different factors. For starters, these spiders aren’t as susceptible to the cold as other species of their ilk, meaning that moving up the coast into less temperate climates isn’t likely to be all that big of a deterrent. And with average global temperatures on the rise, the area that is suitable for their existence is expanding as well.
Check out some of what to expect with these giant spiders coming to a backyard near you.
Oh, and in case you were thinking that these spiders could take a while to move to different regions as they relocate colonies and spread out? Well, that’s not the case with the Joro spiders either. These suckers can’t fly, but they can essentially do the next best thing by using their silks to act almost as parachutes, catching wind gusts and moving from place to place. Some estimates have this method bringing them 50 or even 100 miles at a time if the conditions are “right”. Because of this, we might see Joro spiders dropping out of the sky on us at the least opportune times (which is pretty much always).
But if giant yellow spiders dropping out of the sky seems like the making of another Arachnophobia horror film, we can probably pump the brakes a little there. These spiders aren’t poisonous in any way, shape, or form to human beings and really present no immediate danger to us or possibly even the environment. Some even say that they will be a help in removing other pesky critters from the surrounding area. Sometimes that’s famous last words with invasive species, but most seem to agree that the problem is an aesthetic one rather than environmental or safety.
In all, with the way our world is working now, having new species show up in new places is likely only going to increase as environments become more connected and the climate changes somewhat rapidly. With that in mind, an invasive species that isn’t deadly should maybe be considered a win.
