I have finally figured out how to turn rob and Dave into Build-the-Wall, anti-immigration, anti-globalization, pro-isolation, full-throated Trumpists: the Joro spider.
That's a little one. They can be up to 4 inches across. The Joro spider, or Trichonephila clavata to the cognoscenti, is indigenous to Asia but a bunch of them snuck into a cargo freighter and wound up in Georgia. According to the Washington Post, they tolerate cold weather and are migrating north, towards Leesburg and eventually Highland Park. Here's an entomologist's take:
You'll know they're in your neighborhood when you start seeing giant yellow cobwebs on your power lines.
Apparently you will also encounter them while riding your bike, riding a horse, skateboarding, running, walking, really just doing anything outside--you will walk into one of their giant webs and the spider that lives in it will land on your face. They are big and venomous, but don't worry! Their mandibles are typically too small to pierce human skin, except for the big females' mouths, and their venom is irritating but not deadly. You will survive the bite, if not the ensuing heart attack.
There's more! They can spin a web like a parachute to catch the wind and fly for miles across the land.
On the plus side, they serve as an additional food source for native birds, and will help control other invasive species like the (dreaded) spotted lanternfly.
Enjoy your time outdoors this summer!
Posts
