ATLANTA — Love them or hate them, Joro spiders are here to stay. At least, that's what a new study from UGA indicates.
The large yellow spiders have been spotted across Georgia for roughly the last 10 years. Now, the university thinks it has answers as to why the arachnids have been so resilient.
Turns out the invasive spider is "surprisingly tolerant of the vibrations and noise common in urban landscapes," according to the study.
Researchers specifically looked into how Joros are able to live next to busy roads, an environment typically stressful to animals.
UGA found that, in fact, the spiders are quite at home amid the hustle and bustle of human life. Researchers noted the spiders' webs have been found "between powerlines, on top of stoplights and even above the pumps at local gas stations."
"I don’t know how happy people are going to be about it, but I think the spiders are here to stay," Alexa Schultz, co-author of the study, said.
Researchers also pointed out that the climate here in the U.S. isn't that different from where the spiders originate: Japan.
The good news is that the spiders aren't particularly dangerous or aggressive -- in fact previous UGA research indicated they "may be the shyest spider ever documented."
In the rare event you do have an aggressive encounter with a Joro, a UGA publication noted last year: "Joros won’t bite unless cornered. And even if you did manage to somehow annoy a Joro into biting you, its fangs likely wouldn’t be large enough to pierce your skin."
So, they're here to stay, but at least they've come in peace.
