KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Several reports said that large spiders with distinctive yellow markings across their abdomen could make their way across the east coast. The reports caused some people to wonder if the "Joro spider" was in Tennessee.
Experts said Joro spider populations have not been confirmed in the state, but there could be isolated sightings. One extermination expert in Athens, Georgia, said that he has seen them in the area for the last 8 years.
"This past year, I've noticed more at our customers' homes and in my own personal home than I ever have in the past," said Jarrell Jarrett. "So, they seem to be doing well and kind of thriving in the area."
While the spiders can be unsettling to look at, they are mostly harmless. They're large, with bright colors and long, pointy legs. But they also are not poisonous to people.
They can also help communities out by catching pests like mosquitoes and wasps in their webs. However, those webs can be difficult to deal with. Jarrett said they are known to be strong and extremely sticky.
"If you walk through one of their webs, it's pretty unforgettable," he said. "IT's really sticky and can be hard to remove, too, from a home. Even with a brush or such, just because they're so sticky and tough."
However, he also reiterated that they are not dangerous. They start out life much smaller, and he said they look a lot like Orbweaver spiders. But as they develop, they get much bigger — as much as 3 inches long. Despite their size, their mouths are actually small.
"I think a person or a pet would have a hard time getting bit by one, I haven't had any reports of that in my area," he said. "In my yard, I probably had 30 to 40 of them last year. And they can really be pretty high up in the tree canopies, too."
They are native to areas of Korea and China, and started spreading up the east coast recently.
"They're pretty tough to repel," he said. "Your best thing for them is either to be tolerant of them, or you may be able to achieve suppression by using some insecticides and just physically knocking down the webs."