Georgia Man Celebrates Jorō Spider

Anthony Trendl, a man in Suwanee, Georgia, has made it his mission to celebrate the infamous Jorō spider. That's Trichonephila clavata, the large yellow spider Georgians saw all over the state. It’s the same one causing tough men to cower.

Trendl sees the beauty in a creature many people would like to avoid.

"Their colors are both bold and subtle. They have the kind of tones you might have seen an Impressionist use."

It's no wonder Trendl sees them this way. His mother was the art appreciation director of his school district in the south suburbs of Chicago.

"We went to the Art Institute often. I don’t remember any paintings of spiders, but they had Monet’s ‘Haystacks’, Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’, and Woods’ ‘American Gothic’. Those artists found something magical in the mundane.”

Listen to Trendl wax on about the spiders and he sounds like a poet, drawing from his work leading a speech writing firm. “These are immigrants, individuals, amazing and astounding
They’ve traveled tough, and they are hardy. They are builders.”

He learned about the spiders as did many people in Georgia when they blanketed his yard.

"I saw spiderlings on my deck in early summer 2021. I found them curious as I had never really noticed them before."

After doing some basic research, he realized this was an unusual spider. Not only would it grow to be large, but its webs can stretch across a porch.

He created a Facebook group, and then an Instagram account, where at each he found friendly and knowledgeable fans of the spider. He was surprised to see how many people felt similarly. People he didn't know were sending him money to build a website, JoroSpider.com. It covers basic information, with a bit of whimsy.

Traffic to his site last October, he says, skyrocketed. People saw the large females in their yards and wanted to learn more.

"It took me off guard. I didn't expect that the Jorō spider had so many fans." He says that a few detractors stop by, but he looks at the positive.

You can find the Jorō spider in parks, gardens, wooded areas along the street, and even between electrical wires.

In sunlight, they take on a distinctive golden hue, with a beautiful orb shape, surrounded by two irregularly shaped webs.

Part of Trendl's goal is to reduce fear. So often when discussing the spider he hears, "Nope. No way. Burn down the house." He shrugs when he hears this, hoping they'll come around.

A common question is if they are dangerous.

"That's an understandable concern. These are huge and we do live in the land of black widows and brown recluses."

Well, are they?

"They aren't aggressive, but don't go out of your way to get bitten. It will hurt a little, but their poison is insignificant. It's meant to kill flies, not hurt humans. You and your pets will be fine."

He says if you have one in an inconvenient place, like your porch or deck, just brush the web with a broom. Don't use chemicals. They don't work on spiders the same way they do with ants or cockroaches.

Among the myths he wants to dispel is that they eat birds. They don't. While the webs are strong, they aren't tough enough, he says, to handle a bird.

"You're going to see these this summer and every summer to come. They're here to stay, and they're finding their way into other states."

He encourages people to make peace with their presence, and enjoy their gift to nature.

"We have many beautiful creatures in Georgia. Bluebirds. Tiger swallowtails. Eastern box turtles. And now we have another one. How cool is that?"

For more information, see JoroSpider.com