If you’re in or near the southeast region of the United States, you might find yourself face-to-face with a giant, web-spinning, brightly coloured Joro spider this spring or summer. If you’re racing to prepare the hazmat suit, rest assured that this massive spider doesn’t have its sights set on human targets. However, humans have been the primary cause of the Joro invasion of the southeast over the last few years. Hailing originally from Japan, the Joro have thrived in the climate in the US, and the population has continued to grow. Learn more about the beautiful Joro spider and find out who to call for pest control in Toronto if you need spider removal. 

What Do Joro Spiders Look Like?

The Joro spider, also known as an orb-weaver, is one of the largest spiders in the world, depending on its environment. The spider might be smaller and less colourful in areas where it disagrees with its surrounding temperatures. In colder climates, the Joro grows larger, and its colours are more vibrant.  

• Females 

The female Joro has yellow and dark blue segments, with a hint of red toward the back of her abdomen. She is prominent in most instances, found in the United States to have up to a three-inch body with legs to double her size. The legs of the female are not only at least double the size of her body, if not triple, but they are brightly striped like much of the rest of the spider’s body. 

• Males 

Opposite of many males to female counterparts in nature, the male Joro spider is smaller and less vibrant than his female other. His size is sometimes less than one inch, and his colours range from dull browns to deeper blues and blacks with less bright yellow. As a result, male Joros can be difficult to identify, but the combination of webbing and long legs are often tell-tale indicators. 

How Do Joro Spiders Reproduce?

Females often leave a dragline of spider silk for males to follow to reproduce. Once mating is over, the male is no longer present. The female will then spin a web sack that contains up to 1500 hundred eggs at any given time. 

Once Mother Joro attaches the egg sack to a nearby tree, her lifecycle ends shortly thereafter. The mother spider lives only through late fall or early winter. The babies, however, do not erupt from their protective sack until the following spring, when the weather is warmer, and food is more bountiful. 

What Do Joro Spiders Eat?

Good news: the Joro does not feast on humans. You can exhale. While they are venomous spiders, their bite is not life-threatening, and they are not aggressive. Joro spiders are actually helpful in eliminating pesky populations, like stink bugs and other pests impervious to ordinary means of pest control.

Where Did Joro Spiders Come From?

Joro spiders originally come from Asia. While they can be found all over, Japan is thought to have the earliest known record of the spider. In fact, Japanese folklore even has a tale devoted to the Joro spider. The Jorōgumo is about a spider who can shift into a beautiful woman at will. Once changed, the woman seduces men and then lures them away only to return back to her true spider form to wrap them in silk and enjoy them for dinner. Interpret the lesson as you see fit. 

What To Do If You See a Joro Spider?

There is a very small chance of you coming across the Joro spider in Canada however if on your travels you come across one, leave it be. While the bite will not endanger your life, it is painful and certainly not recommended. 

Truly Nolen Canada in Toronto is here to help with a variety of residential pest control services. If you are looking to get rid of a spider problem in your home, contact us today.