You have nothing to fear but fear itself, said FDR during the Great Depression. That was before the Joro Spider was spotted in the Northeast. In case you haven’t heard, the Asian Joro Spider is here in the U.S. and is slowly making its way north. So what is a Joro Spider?
The invasive four-inch spider has spread since it first appeared in the U.S. about a decade ago in Georgia, and is expected to be sighted farther along the East Coast. Joro spiders are native to Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. It is thought they arrived in the United States on a shipping container.
The good news is these spiders are not a danger to humans, even though they are venomous and can fly. Wait, a flying venomous spider is something not to be concerned with? That’s what the experts say.
Fear of spiders seems to be almost primal. There was a movie called Arachnophobia. There was Aragog in Harry Potter that ate Ron’s Weasley car. Searching Google, there are numerous online tests to see if you have arachnophobia. There is even a children’s rhyme. Adding a huge flying spider to the mix doesn’t help matters.
Spiders actually do a lot of good – they eat lots of insects, but still they are scary to many people.
What's Bedford Thinking? How do you feel about spiders?
- I’m don't mind spiders (44%, 89 Votes)
- I’m a little scared of spiders (35%, 70 Votes)
- I'm arachnophobic and run from the room if there is a spider (15%, 31 Votes)
- Love 'em, spiders are like family. (6%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 202
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what’s happening here in bedford? i have a mouse inside and twice so far it has escaped from the trap i set. i hear it now rustling in my living room. in addition, my next door neighbor reported seeing 2 rats, not mice, by my back porch trying to get into my trash bin.