Space Invaders of the Arachnid Kind

I have a pair of nieces, Chloe and Gemma, who are fascinated by bugs. They’ll pick up a catapillar, grasshopper or spider without a second thought. They’re proud to show their finds off, and don’t understand why not everyone thinks their little friends are cool.

They did not get this trait from me. No, I prefer not to look at bugs, let alone touch them, especially spiders. I mean I once used a literal ten foot pole to deal with a particular large and hairy arachnid.

Which is why the pictures I’m sharing with you are kind of a miracle.

“I took them myself,” I say proudly and out loud. Mostly I tried to focus on the webs, the beauty of them, the perfections and imperfections. I particularly liked the way the webs and the dew played around my mother’s wind chimes.

But I wanted a picture or two of the spiders as well. These weird green and yellow striped strangers that don’t look like any spiders I’ve ever seen before this year. Even their golden webs were different than the webs I was used to. Thicker, harder to brush away when I inevitably walked into one.

When they first showed up in the spring with there were just a couple. One took up residence in the eaves of the porch and one in a bush off the ramp.

Into a web I walked. It took me all day to shake the disturbing sensation of carrying spider silk around with me.

I’m not ashamed to say I had a big sturdy nephew deal with them.

A week later though, they were back. Worse, they brought reinforcements. Two became five. Those five were evicted. Then there were ten.

We kind of gave up trying to make them disappear. Maybe if we left them alone they would call off the invasion.

Yeah right. Summer is over, fall is in full swing. Judging by the number of webs decorating my porch, yard, woods and the power lines beyond we’re hosting a small army.

Who are these infernal beast that look at once scary and fascinating? Why are they here? Most importantly do they come in peace?

An inquiring and, frankly, terrified mind had to know so off to google I went.

Let me introduce to you, the Joro Spider.

So it turns out these things are an invasive species out of Japan and China. They somehow found their way to Hoschton, Ga. several years ago and have now spread across Northeast Georgia and western South Carolina.

Lucky us.

Up to 1500 of them can be born from a single egg sack in the spring. Females ending up more than twice the size of the males as they mature and grow through summer. Joros finish out their life cycle in the late fall/early winter. And good riddance, I say, except you know, they leave behind more egg sacks.

They like to munch on a species of stink bugs that is also an invasive species. One other spiders don’t seem eat, so I guess maybe we need them. Especially since my neck of the woods has an abundance of them. Go figure.

And hey, I do have to admit, way less stink bugs and bugs in general have found their way inside this year. This works for me, because let me tell you, these sorta cute little fellas come by their name honestly. Do not squish or handle stink bugs if you can help it.

As for the Joros, I for one have adopted a live and let live policy. At least as long as none of these guys and gals make their way into my car or the house.

The yard is theirs. I just walk through it sometimes. Preferably with my cane being waved around in front of me to save me from walking though any webs.