I'm sure they'll come up here too. More invasive species. They're legs can grow up to 4 inches.
Reports of "venomous flying spiders" poised to invade the United States may seem scary to some, but multiple spider experts told Fox News Digital this week that, while there's cause for concern, there is no threat to humans or pets.
The Joro spider, an invasive species originally from Asia, was first officially sighted in the United States about 10 years ago, Dr. David Nelsen, a professor in the Biology and Allied Health Department at Southern Adventist University in Tennessee, said in a phone interview.
Nelsen published a research paper on the spread of Joro spiders in 2023.
"That venom is for their prey and doesn't really harm people or pets," he said.
Joro spiders are "incredibly docile," Dr. David R. Coyle, an assistant professor at Clemson University in South Carolina, told Fox News Digital in an email. He's published research on Joro spiders.
"I've handled dozens of them (and my kids have handled them) with absolutely zero ill effects," he said.
What's more, it is not even certain that the "mouthparts" of a Joro spider can even break human skin, he said.
"In my opinion, there's no need to be afraid of them," Coyle said.
"That said," he continued, "arachnophobia is a thing and some folks may have a genuine fear of Joro spiders (and other spiders, for that matter)."
Orb weaver spiders, like Joro spiders, are also "extremely unlikely" to be found indoors, Bossel said.
Today, Joro spiders can be found throughout much of the southern U.S.; there is also said to be a "satellite" population in Baltimore.
It is unclear how these spiders made their way to the U.S., but Nelsen suspects an egg sac hitched a ride on a shipping container.
Their population is, however, likely to continue growing and spreading across the country.
"They look like they can spread pretty wide across the United States, especially in the East," Nelsen said. "I think we've kind of lost the war at this point, in terms of stopping it altogether."
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Reports of "venomous flying spiders" poised to invade the United States may seem scary to some, but multiple spider experts told Fox News Digital this week that, while there's cause for concern, there is no threat to humans or pets.
The Joro spider, an invasive species originally from Asia, was first officially sighted in the United States about 10 years ago, Dr. David Nelsen, a professor in the Biology and Allied Health Department at Southern Adventist University in Tennessee, said in a phone interview.
Nelsen published a research paper on the spread of Joro spiders in 2023.
"That venom is for their prey and doesn't really harm people or pets," he said.
Joro spiders are "incredibly docile," Dr. David R. Coyle, an assistant professor at Clemson University in South Carolina, told Fox News Digital in an email. He's published research on Joro spiders.
"I've handled dozens of them (and my kids have handled them) with absolutely zero ill effects," he said.
What's more, it is not even certain that the "mouthparts" of a Joro spider can even break human skin, he said.
"In my opinion, there's no need to be afraid of them," Coyle said.
"That said," he continued, "arachnophobia is a thing and some folks may have a genuine fear of Joro spiders (and other spiders, for that matter)."
Orb weaver spiders, like Joro spiders, are also "extremely unlikely" to be found indoors, Bossel said.
Today, Joro spiders can be found throughout much of the southern U.S.; there is also said to be a "satellite" population in Baltimore.
It is unclear how these spiders made their way to the U.S., but Nelsen suspects an egg sac hitched a ride on a shipping container.
Their population is, however, likely to continue growing and spreading across the country.
"They look like they can spread pretty wide across the United States, especially in the East," Nelsen said. "I think we've kind of lost the war at this point, in terms of stopping it altogether."
'No need to be afraid' of 'venomous flying spiders,' expert says
Fox News Digital spoke with three spider experts who said that while the invasive venomous Joro spider may seem scary, this spider is really more of a nuisance than a threat to humans or pets.
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