EEK! This Huge, Non-Native Spider is Coming to New Jersey – And It’s Here to Stay

If you're deathly afraid of spiders, I'm so sorry. I hate to break to you (and myself), but some pretty big ones are making their way to New Jersey - if they're not already here!

Studies have unearthed a creepy-crawly phenomenon that has arachnophobes on high alert – giant parachuting spiders that are spreading rapidly across the United States. They're expected to start spreading across the East Coast. That means us!

Say hello to... the Joro Spider!

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Bright yellowish-green in color, with long, striped legs, this spider can grow as big as your hand!!

These Asian spiders have developed an extraordinary method of travel - "ballooning." They release silk threads into the air, essentially creating parachutes that catch the wind and carry them across vast distances. Gah!!!

Researchers at Clemson University say "...This spider is going to be able to inhabit most of the eastern U.S. It shows that their comfort area in their native range matches up very well with much of North America."

So as shocked and creeped out as you may be, don't be surprised if you see one in New Jersey.

Where have Joro Spiders been spotted?

So far, there have been reported spiders in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Are Joro Spiders poisonous?

Here's good and bad news. The bad news is, yes - they are poisonous. The good news is, they don't like staying indoors, they're timid, unlikely to bite a human or pet unless cornered, and their fangs can't penetrate human skin. So no, they're not really dangerous to us. Just startling.