Venomous Giant Flying Spiders From Japan Could End Up in Michigan

As an arachnophobe, any type of spider is terrifying to me. Big or small, it doesn't matter, I don't want them anywhere near by. And I'm not the only one, according to experts anywhere from 3-15% Americans suffer from it.

Some of them are poisonous, while others are just scary looking. Then you take into consideration there are some spiders that also fly? That's a hard pass on being friendly with these eight legged freaks from me.

In case you haven't heard about your next nightmare, they're called Joro spiders and they're from Japan. Not only are they terrifying and look like a gardener spider, they also have venom and can 'fly' between trees. Eeek!

Are Joro Spiders dangerous?

Although the spider is not aggressive, they will bite to protect themselves. The bite is considered painful, but not life-threatening.

Joro spders aren't dangerous per se, but they do eat bugs that other native Michigan creatures prey on, so scientists worry about the competition for food they could cause for our native species.

They were first spotted in the United States in 2013 down in Georgia. But, they didn't stay put for long- the spiders soon made their way to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland. There are also reports of them showing up in Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

A recent study from Clemson University says that Joro spiders are "here to stay," and are spreading beyond their current states and could soon be spotted in all states in the eastern United States.

When will Joro spiders arrive in Michigan?

Thankfully you won't spot these palm sized terrors anytime soon in Michigan. While they have proven to be able to survive a Michigan winter, they aren't huge fans of the cold so they are currently hanging out in the southeast.

Some experts at the University of Georgia say we could see them here in less than 20 years. Yikes.