Joro Spiders Trichonephila clavata
Identification
Color: Variety, including blue-gray and yellow bodies with red markings on the abdomen and black legs with yellow bands for females, males are mostly brown
Size: The female Joro spider size can be up to 4 inches including the legs . Male Joro spiders are much smaller, with a body sizeof approximately 0.25 inches.
Legs: 8
Antennae: No
Shape: Oval
Region: Georgia, spreading to Southeast U.S. states
What is a Joro Spider?
Joro spiders are an invasive species that was first discovered in Georgia in 2014 and has since spread to several counties. This spider species is larger in size than most species found in the U.S., giving them a threatening appearance. The Joro spider is known to travel via ‘ballooning,’ in which young spiders or spiderlings release a small strand of silk allowing it to move by catching onto an air current.
What Do Joro Spiders Look Like?
Female Joro spiders are larger in size with 1-inch bodies that are blue-gray and yellow in color with red markings on their abdomen and legs that extend up to 4 inches. Their long legs are black with yellow bands. Males are smaller and mostly brown in color.
At this time, there is no research showing the Joro spider poses a threat to humans. In fact, a Joro spider bite is rare, as spiders typically do not want to interact with us. If you experience a Joro spider bite, it will likely feel like a bee sting. Like most spiders, Joro spider bites are venomous, but they are only dangerous to small insects.
Joro spiders are likely to be found on the edges of woods or around homes, although not typically found inside structures. As part of the Orb Weaver family, a Joro spider web will be highly organized and wheel shaped. Having a pest control professional find and remove these webs can be effective in getting rid of Joro spiders.
The large elaborate Joro spider webs and bright colored females are a sure sign of the spiders’ presence.
If you’re wondering how to get ride of Joro spiders, the best way is by working with a licensed pest control professional who has the knowledge and expertise to properly remove this pest. Keeping firewood or other harborage areas away from the home and removing webs can make areas near the home less hospitable to Joro spiders.
