Experts say giant parachuting spiders could invade the East Coast in May or June of 2022.
Three-inch Joro spiders have made their way from Japan to Georgia and are spreading out slowly, according to a report.
Several residents of the Peach State are not taking the news well.
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“It’s disgusting,” Anna Reed told WGAL.
“A big no!” Donneisha Match added.
“Oh Lord Jesus,” Gregory Lightfoot said.
Now, the spiders in Georgia could become far more prolific across the East Coast, according to a study released by scientists from the University of Georgia.
“It doesn’t have anything that’s controlling its population size in the new habitat, but it has perfect conditions to spread,” said Benjamin Frick, co-author of the study and an undergraduate at Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia.
The Joro spiders’ ability to survive the cold and winters is a factor that could lead to the species continuing to spread, according to the report.
“In our experiment, we exposed them to a brief period of cold only for a couple of minutes at below-freezing temperatures, and most of the Joros did just fine,” said Andy Davis, co-author of the study and a research scientist at Odum.
Joro spiders are called “parachuting spiders” because they can use their webs in a balloon-like fashion to travel using the winds, the researchers said. Still, humans, not the spiders, will be the biggest factor in spreading the arachnids, they noted.
“We had a Joro being found in Oklahoma, we tracked the person who made the observation, and it turned out it was a student from here,” Davis said.
Although the spiders appear menacing, scientists say they are timid and aren’t likely to harm food webs, ecosystems, or humans.
“Its fangs are so small relative to most human skin that it probably won’t be able to get its fangs into you even if it wanted to,” Frick said.
If someone were to be bitten, it would feel like a pinch, the scientists said.
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The spiders have a small amount of venom, but most individuals would require no medical attention, the report noted.
