Giant 8-Inch Spiders From China Are Reportedly Invading the U.S.
There are some animals that most people are not fans of, and I think it's safe to say that spiders fall into that category. Now imagine spiders the size of your palm - or even bigger - falling from the sky. According to @Daily Mail, that may actually be happening here in the U.S. sooner rather than later.
Daily Mail reported on Sunday, December 10th that giant 8-inch spiders found in Asia are making their way to the states. The invading spiders are called joro spiders, and not only are they big, but they're venomous, too. These spiders can "fly" 50-100 miles at a time using their webs as a parasail to glide through the air. When can we expect to see them here on the east coast? Listen to what the ecologist at the end has to say on that topic.
While the ecologist says that we could see the joro spiders here by as soon as 2024, this isn't the first time that we've been warned about the flying spiders landing on U.S. soil. We reported about these spiders back in September of 2022. The ecologist said they'd hit New York and New Jersey first, however Everything Georgia said in 2022 that they were already here, likely transported from Asia via shipping containers. I live in Georgia and have never heard anything about these spiders or seen one...I'm hoping it stays that way!
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Are Joro Spiders a Threat to Humans?
While the thought of finding an 8-inch venomous spider in your backyard might sound like a nightmare, experts say that humans and pets don't really have anything to worry about. NPR reported back at the beginning of 2022 that these spiders might be venomous, but their fangs are too small to break human skin. The same goes with spider bites to pets, nothing to worry about. They also mentioned that these spiders make a good food source for birds and other animals. They even discussed the origin of the spider's name. Joro comes from Jorōgumo, which in Japanese folklore suggests that it can "turn itself into a beautiful woman to prey on unsuspecting men." Kind of cool!
@Daily Mail fans left more than 5 thousand comments about the spider news. @A Town Down said, "With everything in the past 3 years.... why not giant flying spiders. Cherry on top" and @AK made me laugh when they added, "This is worth another lockdown". @Enzo got nearly 12 thousand likes when he shared, "First Covid and now flying spiders. C'mon China" and @Ayo got almost 15 thousand likes when they pointed out, "They won’t stand a chance against the rats in New York".
NPR also went on to say that the spiders are here to stay. I guess if they don't bother me, I won't bother them. But I'll never be a fan of a spider as big as my hand!
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