A giant species of spider has been colonizing large swaths of the southeastern United States and wildlife experts say there\u2019s not much that can be done to keep it from spreading. Those same experts say though the spiders are large and scary looking, they\u2019re unlikely to be very disruptive to local ecosystems or harmful to humans.<\/p>\n

The Joro spider is venomous, the spiders have very small fangs, and most defensive bites are not likely to break a person\u2019s skin so the spiders are not thought to be a threat to humans.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should try to learn to live with them,\u201d Andy Davis, a research scientist at the University of Georgia\u2019s Odum School of Ecology, said in a news release.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like the Joro spiders could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern Seaboard here, which is pretty sobering,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n

The bright yellow and black Joro spider is easy to spot. It is common in the Atlanta and Athens, Ga. areas, and has been reported throughout most of northern Georgia, as well as parts of Tennessee, and the western Carolinas.<\/p>\n

Researchers think the spider came into the U.S. about 80 miles north of Atlanta, where it likely came in a shipping container from Asia. The Joro is widespread in Japan, China, and Korea.<\/p>\n

Thousands of spiders have been reported in Georgia, weaving giant, three-dimensional webs that are a golden color and have been reported as deep as 10 feet.<\/p>\n