Is The Joro Spider Coming To New York Soon

Have you ever wondered what would happen if spiders screamed when they saw us? It could be a little amusing. You spot a spider: AHHHHH. Spider response: AHHHHH. Funny...unless that really happened. How about if it parachuted out of the sky?

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So have you heard about this huge and scary-looking spider that could be coming our way? This palm-sized spider is originally from Japan and could be parachuting into the Southern Tier soon.

What Is The Joro Spider?

It's the Joro spider and it's believed that they are making their way to the US in shipping containers. The reason they seem to be such fast travelers is that the hatchlings do something called "ballooning."

They use their web silks to ride the wind to new places and they actually look like they are parachuting. According to a study published in the journal Physiological Entomology as reported by NPR, these spiders could survive better in colder temperatures compared to other spiders.

So it's not out of the realm of possibility that they could move up the east coast and SOMEDAY find their way to New York. They aren't in the Southern Tier yet but even if it gets to our area, we shouldn't worry.

These Joro spiders may be palm-sized but their fangs are too small to break the skin so they are harmless to humans. They could even do some good as an additional food source for the birds.

So the Joro spider may not be a danger to New Yorkers but here are 20 that could be