Fact check: Are giant, parachuting spiders really moving up the East Coast?
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Ready or not, Joro spider season is coming back around in the Carolinas! But could they be spreading to new regions of the country?
A recent report from a pest control company in the Northeast has Joro spiders back in the headlines.
The giant, parachuting arachnids are hard to miss - and small, juvenile Joros may already be making webs around your property in the Upstate. They’re most commonly seen (and the biggest) between August and October.
The invasive yellow spiders are native to Asia and experts believe they arrived in the U.S. on shipping containers more than a decade ago. Their size can be frightening, but they are relatively harmless to humans.
Last year, Clemson scientists said the orb-weavers, which can “parachute” using their web, were “spreading like wildlife” in the Carolinas.
Earlier this year, NJ Pest Control reported that the Joro spiders were expected to potentially reach New Jersey by the end of 2024.
FOX Carolina reached out to Clemson University assistant professor Dr. David Coyle about the report. He suspects that Joro spiders will eventually reach the Northeast - but said no one can predict when.
“We really have no idea whatsoever when that might happen and if someone tells you otherwise they’re lying,” Coyle said. “They might get there this year. Might be next year. Might be a decade from now. No one knows.”
Coyle confirmed that Joro spiders can currently be found in the Upstate of South Carolina, northern Georgia, southwestern North Carolina, and southeastern Tennessee. He also said there is a population near Baltimore and there have been sightings reported in other states but legitimate populations in those haven’t been confirmed.
“This area is slowly expanding outwards,” Coyle said. “We have no idea if – or when – they’ll reach the Northeast. Our research shows they likely can survive there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get there. Will they get there eventually? Probably, based on my experience with invasive species, what this one has done so far, and my gut feeling.”
Copyright 2024 WHNS. All rights reserved.
