Giant black and yellow spiders the size of a human hand are set to arrive in the northeastern states this summer. Jorō spiders are an invasive species that originated in China, and experts say they can fly up to 100 miles by turning their webs into makeshift parasails. Although they are venomous, scientists say Jorō spiders’ venom is weak and that their fangs aren’t strong enough to break the skin of humans or pets. The creepy crawlers are about 4 inches long and have legs that span 6-8 inches. The females are brightly colored and are known to cannibalize their brown-colored male mates. Jorō spiders are believed to have made it to the U.S. about 10 years ago on shipping containers delivered to Georgia. Experts have long been predicting the massive spread of the arachnids across the east coast. Their main methods of dispersal are to either balloon with the wind or hitch rides on cars. “They are generally going to spread to where the wind blows, or where humans are,” said José R. Ramírez-Garofalo of Rutgers University. The good news for arachnophobes in the northeast is that Jorō spiders don't want to go inside homes and much prefer staying outside and using man-made structures as the basis to form their webs.
