While Summer 2024 might be one the hottest and wettest in D.C. history and bring record-breaking crowds of tourists, it turns out there’s something even worse making it’s way to the capital this Summer!
According to reports by iNaturalist, Joro Spiders, have been spotted in the D.C. area!
What are Joro Spiders?
Joro Spiders are an invasive species of spider from East Asia that were first spotted in the United States about a decade ago after hitching a ride on shipping containers.
Once they arrived in the US they took up a seemingly permanent residency in the area around Northern Georgia, but now they tend to hitch rides on cars, or even use their webs to create a parachute and catch the wind to fly greater distances!
The spiders are notably black and yellow, about 4 inches in length, and are venomous!
Fortunately, their fangs aren’t big enough to harm humans, so they are relatively harmless, aside from the emotional or mental pain seeing them in your apartment might inflict.
What to do if you see a Joro Spider?
While admittedly we’d probably run for the hills if we saw one on the street or move if we saw one in our apartments, the reality is that these spiders are harmless.
Their bites cannot pierce human skin, so there is no stress of a bite, plus they tend to eat a lot of the typical pests like flies and moths that tend to fill D.C. during the summer!
The best way to deal with them is to trap them and take them outside, but that’s easier said than done, if necessary you can always use pesticides, but avoid this if you can since they can be harmful to other critters in the area as well!
If they’re outside your house, your best bet is to just leave it alone and continue on your way.