The Joro Spider, Native To Asia, Spins Its Web Across Georgia

GEORGIA — Last year, we had murder hornets. Then giant spiders big enough to kill a hummingbird.

Well, those same spiders are back again.

The Joro spider — officially named Trichonephila clavata — is part of a group of spiders known as orb weavers for their highly organized, wheel-shaped webs, according to The Associated Press. They're typically found in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and can measure up to 3 inches across when their legs are fully extended.

The spiders and their golden-colored webs have been spotted on power lines, porches and gardens all over north Georgia this year — just as they were last year, too. They're not deadly, are typically not a threat to humans or pets, and won't bite unless they feel threatened, Paula Cushing, an arachnologist at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, told AP.

Reports from the University of Georgia indicate the spiders were first spotted in the state in 2013 and 2014, according to USA Today, and there's no indication of them going anywhere anytime soon.

• Related: Giant Spiders Imported From Asia Spotted In North Georgia

Byron Freeman, director of the Georgia Museum of Natural History, told UGA these huge spiders likely arrived in Georgia by shipping container. The Joro spider population has grown to "extreme numbers" since it was first spotted here, with sightings in about 25 counties, USA Today reported.

Nancy Hinkle, an entomologist at UGA, told both USA Today and AP that Joros spiders are actually great for natural pest control. They feed on insects such as mosquitoes, flies and even brown marmorated stink bugs.

But some Georgians aren't taking any risks.

"I don't advocate killing anything. I live in peace with all the spiders around here and everything else," Debbie Gilbert, who lives in Norcross, told AP. "But [Joros] just don't belong here, that's all."

Most of these huge spiders are expected to die by late November, AP reported, but they could return again next year — and in even larger numbers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.