Giant golden spiders could spread this summer; experts downplay health risk

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Large,palm-sized spidersare spinning massive golden webs across porches and power lines, and, according to experts, they’re here to stay.

The Joro spider, which has a leg span up to 4 inches and markings of neon yellow, blue-black and red, was first recorded in Georgia in 2013.

Since its arrival — likely as a hitchhiker on a shipping container oran airplanefrom Asia, experts say — the arachnid has been steadily marching north.

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The spiders have so far been spotted in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

They are expected to spread throughout eastern North America, at least as far north as Pennsylvania and possibly further in warmer, coastal areas, according to Penn State.

A Joro spider on a surface at 59 Mount Vernon Street.

Joro spiders can “fly” by shooting out silk parachutes that carry them on the wind.(Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

To travel, the spider uses a technique called “ballooning,” in which hatchlings release fine silk threads that catch air currents and carry them over long distances.

Ian Williams, an entomologist with Orkin, said he counted 200 adult spiders by September of last year on his one-acre propertynear Atlanta.

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“They’re quite intimidating looking spiders, and they make very large webs,�“The webbing itself, if it catches the sunlight, has a golden hue to it.And it’s very strong.”

Joro spiders like to spin their webs up high near houses, trees and even power lines, an expert said.(Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

“While they’re large spiders, they don’t have large fangs.And, so, it’s difficult for them to bite humans,” Williams noted.

Even in the rare event of a nip, the expert said the venom is weak, comparable to a localized bee sting, and carries “no medical importance.”

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As an invasive species, the Joro’s impact is still being weighed by scientists.

“One of the big concerns is that they potentially out-compete native species of spiders,” Williams said.

Physical removal is more efficient than pesticides, according to an expert.(iStock)

A prolific hunter, the Joro spider catches everything from mosquitoes tolarge, meaty insectslike cicadas.It is unclear whether it steals food from native garden spiders.