Joro Spiders Are Nothing To Fear

So, I opened up social media this morning to several frantic posts about the coming "Giant Spider Invasion" and as usual, it's a bunch of baloney. Yes, we are seeing a proliferation of the invasive species of Trichonephila clavata, also known as the Joro spider.

The first thing you will note is the word "Invasive" but invasive doesn't mean deadly and if you can stem the tide of adrenaline coursing through your body after reading about the GIANT! SPIDER! INVASION!, let me reassure you that while they might be an annoyance with their giant golden webs, these beautiful spiders are not aggressive and in fact are known to be gentle giants.

The Joro spider was originally found throughout Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. In fact, in Japan, the Jorōgumo is a legendary creature in local folklore. Wikipedia says a Jorōgumo is a spider who can change her appearance into that of a beautiful woman. This spider-woman, if you will, is said to breathe fire and to be able to control other spiders. She seeks men to seduce, whom she then binds in her silk and devours. Gotta love that macabre Japanese spin on literally everything!

It's thought that the actual Joro may have hitchhiked into the southeastern US through shipping containers around 10 or 15 years ago. Their natural dispersal mechanisms, such as ballooning seem to have spread them across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with additional reports in Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma, and West Virginia in the last decade so it's likely you'll run across one of these guys if you spend any time outside at all.

And these spiders are so pretty! The adult female individual has stripes of yellow and dark blue, with red toward the rear of the abdomen. The adult female's body size can grow to around 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) across — around double the size of males — and also have blue stripes and red patches on their predominantly yellow abdomens. 0.67–0.98 inches while the male's is 7–10 millimetres or 0.28–0.39 in. In autumn, smaller males may be seen in the webs of the females for copulating.

After mating, the female spins an egg sack on a tree, laying 400 to 1500 eggs in one sack. Her lifecycle ends by late autumn or early winter with the death of the spider. The new generation emerges in spring so you'll probably see them soon if you haven't already.

Now, while they are considered non-aggressive, the Joro will bite to protect themselves. The bite is considered painful, but not life-threatening. So it might be best to have a look at them but leave them alone! Not a lot is known about their effect on local ecology but they have been observed eating stink bugs and mosquitos so I'm all for that! Wouldn't it be great if they ate them all?

So when you see the usual fear-mongering "GIANT SPIDER APOCALYPSE" headlines, take a breath and rest assured, you'll survive this one too!

"You're too sweet." At least that's what some people say when I tell them I get eaten alive by mosquitos. It's been an issue my entire life.  I swear I can walk outside during the summertime and almost immediately get a few mosquito bites or 10.  You would think at my age I would have figured out a remedy by now!

So, this past weekend, my fiance, David, and I went to Saint Helena Island in South Carolina with some friends.  Of course, being near the beach, we spent quite a bit of time outside.  And when I tell you I got eaten up by mosquitos... I mean it!  I'm pretty sure my legs look like I have chicken pox or something.

Now, I say they are mosquito bites... But I've also heard people say it could be those no-see-ums. I've heard of no-see-ums... but I don't know how to tell the difference between those bites and mosquito bites.  According to Wikipedia, the actual name for no-see-ums is "Ceratopogonidae." I wouldn't even begin to try to pronounce that. Another name for them is "biting midges."

As I read more about the no-see-ums, I'm beginning to think that might be what bit me.  Wikipedia says the females feed on the blood of vertebrates, including humans, to get protein for egg laying.  And apparently, the bites are painful and can cause "intensely itchy lesions."  That sounds about right, because let me tell you... my legs have been itching like crazy for DAYS! I had a couple of bites on my arms, but those don't seem to be near as bad as the bites on my legs!

I have tried so hard not to scratch my legs, but the itching has been really intense.  Mosquito bites or no-see-ums bites... either way, they are miserable to deal with.

Yes, I know I should use bug spray.  But I'm not a big fan of using chemicals on my body. I know there are natural alternatives, but I just don't always think about it, because sometimes I'm only outside for a short time and get bitten.

Throughout my life, and even just recently, I've tried a number of itch remedies.  But these bites are no joke. Even with some of the things I've tried, it's not long before I'm itching again.

Recently, I feel like this has given me the most relief, but it just doesn't last long.  I pour some 91% rubbing alchocol on a cotton ball and rub it all over my legs.  The bad part is, it can burn!  But that's because I have scratched at some of the bites and left sores.

I've used this throughout the years.  Even the strongest one that's on the market.  But I honestly don't think it helps that much.

In the past few years, I've used essential oils for a lot of things.  Lavender has been good for many things, especially sunburns.  I know it's good for itching too, so I put a couple drops in some lotion and rubbed it all over my legs.  I think this worked a little better than the Cortizone cream.

I bought this a few months ago for a weird itching issue I had with my feet that wasn't athlete's foot.  So, since I had it on hand, I figured I'd try it out for the bug bites.  It works okay... but it's a really strong smell.  This is one I'd be more likely to use at night instead of during the day when I'm around people!

Throughout my life, I've heard of many different ways to prevent mosquito bites... here are just a few of those!

Perhaps the most obvious, and quickiest solution.  But, as I mentioned... I'm not a big fan of chemicals.  Plus, I don't always remember to spray it on before heading outdoors.  And I don't want to spray it on if I'm just going outside for a few minutes. I do know there are more natural sprays... which I need to look into.  I have made my own using essential oils before too!

I'm not sure how much faith I have in this.  I've had bugs bite me through my clothing before.  And honestly, in this Georgia and South Carolina heat... no one wants to wear long sleeves and pants in the summer!

According to Country Living, wearing lighter colored clothing might help.  Some mosquitoes prefer darker colors.  Again, not sure how much I'd rely on this one for prevention!

There are a variety of ways to treat your outdoor space.  Obviously, there are many companies that provide bug treatment monthy. Also, you need to eliminate any standing water outside.

You can also use a bug trap, which I haven't always found to be highly effective.  There are also citronella candles you can burn.  And you can also use a fan, which can prevent bugs from wanting to be in the area of high air flow.