Millions of creepy, palm-sized spiders have been spotted across North Georgia and won’t leave anytime soon, according to scientists.
The East Asia native spider, the Joro, was first identified in the state in 2014 by Rick Hoebeke, Georgia Museum of Natural History collections manager, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.
“Our best guess is that it came in a shipping container and dropped off here somewhere on I-85 in the Braselton area,” Hoebeke told the Banner-Herald. “They are great little hitchhikers!”
Joros are large, spanning almost 3 inches across when their legs are fully extended, and despite their size, are harmless to humans, according to UGA Today.
Most have unique yellow and blue-black stripes on their backs and legs, UGA Today reported.
“They seem to be really common in riparian areas and in urban areas around people’s houses, but they’re also in the deep woods,” Byron Freeman, director of the Georgia Museum of Natural History, told UGA Today.
The only negative impact of Joros is the annoyance caused by their large numbers this year, but experts agree that Mother Nature will take its course and the numbers will return to a more normal level, the Banner-Herald reported.
“I think people need to make peace with Joros and accept the spiders because they are not going anywhere. Halloween is coming up, so we all have fine, natural decorations for the kiddos to enjoy,” Hoebeke told the Banner-Herald.
LEARN MORE: Georgia Gwinnett College releases information on Joro spiders
From UGA Extension Service: Joro spiders cloak north Georgia in their webs
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