1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, there's Chuck, 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: there's Jerry there, and we're caught in a web of 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: greatness because this is short stuff from stuff you should know. 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 2: Are you sure? 5 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: Oh my brain got zapped for a second there. 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 2: Uh you know. 7 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 3: I just saw a jiro spider today eating either eating 8 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 3: a bee or fighting a bee. I don't know what 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 3: was going on, but it was tangling with a bee. 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: Could have been two different steps. 11 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: Perhaps. 12 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: I've seen a bunch of them myself. We have them 13 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: all over the house. And I had been remarking to 14 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: myself like, wow, these things are all over the place, 15 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: and you sent this and I was like, oh, well, 16 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: that's why they're an invasive species here in Georgia, South 17 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: Carolina for sure, and they're starting to move a little 18 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: bit northwestward into other southern states like Tennessee and Alabama, 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: but definitely up the eastern seaboard. And what we're talking 20 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: about is what CNN called giant, venomous juro spiders are 21 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: infiltrating parts of the US. Can you believe that? 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 3: I mean, they're venomous, they're giant, and they are invading, 23 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 3: but come. 24 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,839 Speaker 1: On, Yeah, So after you guys, hear the short stuff, 25 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: you will realize how just preposterous that headline from CNN is. 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. 27 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 3: So the scientific name of these beautiful, beautiful spiders are 28 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 3: Nephila clevada and they are from East Asia. And they 29 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 3: got over here like a lot of things get over here, 30 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 3: which is in like shipping containers and stuff. A lot 31 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: of times it's like lumber. That's how you get a 32 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 3: lot of insects coming in. And they came over from 33 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 3: East Asia and really made a home here in the 34 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 3: Southeast since I think twenty thirteen is when they first 35 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 3: spotted them in Georgia. 36 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, Georgia leads the way in duro spiders. 37 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, Atlanta is the hub. 38 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think my house is the hub actually there. 39 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 3: Well, you're also seeing a lot of them now because 40 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 3: the adults come out and spin their webs in August September, October. 41 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: So, like you said, they're from East Asia and in 42 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: Japan they're called juro gummo. And the reason I say juro, 43 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: a lot of people say joro, which makes sense because 44 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: it's spelled jo ro. But in the Japanese spelling there's 45 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: a long symbol over the second Oh, so the first 46 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: one would not be a hard Oh, it'd be jah 47 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: ro Okay, that's right, and that means entangling or binding bride. 48 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 1: And you'll see why they call them that. In Korea, 49 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: they're called mudang gumi, which means shaman or fortune teller. 50 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: So however you slice it, these things have pretty cool names, 51 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: and aptly so, because like you said, they're just absolutely 52 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: beautiful and they are pretty good sized enough so that 53 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: you can see like all of them pretty clearly. 54 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean they're big. They're orb weavers, so they're 55 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: gonna weave those big beautiful webs that. 56 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 2: I mean. 57 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 3: Their webs can be ten feet wide. The one I 58 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 3: almost walked into the other day, like face first, was 59 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 3: probably about four feet wide and strung between two outdoor 60 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 3: umbrellas that were not close to each other, So I 61 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 3: don't know if that part counts as the width or not. 62 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 2: If that does, it was more like eight feet. 63 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: Wow. 64 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 3: But if you've seen these things and you said, like, oh, 65 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 3: that's just a garden spider, we have those when I 66 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 3: was growing up, what are you talking about, guys? 67 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: Not the same spider. The garden spider looks a lot 68 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: like it. 69 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 3: But there are some differences because they're well different spiders 70 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 3: garden spiders. The females are bigger than the males, and 71 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: as far as the markings go, the garden spiders have 72 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 3: yellow and black basically only, and the drawers have yellow 73 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 3: and dark blue with a little bit of red on 74 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 3: their belly. 75 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, they also have orange bands like around their legs. 76 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: They're just really really pretty. The males of the duro 77 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: spiders too, are smaller and they're kind of looking. So 78 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: if you ever see a gerro spider and you're like, wow, 79 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: that is a cool looking spider, it's a It's a 80 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: female every time. And then the other dead giveaway is 81 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: if it's spinning a web, it's a female, because only 82 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: the females spin webs for gerro spiders. And you said 83 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 1: you walked face first into or you almost walked face 84 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: first into a web? Correct, have you ever run into one? 85 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 3: I mean, I've walked through some some spider webs at 86 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 3: my day. Like you do that a lot when you're 87 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 3: like backpacking because you don't see them on the trail, 88 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 3: so that happens a lot. And hear that, Like I 89 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 3: walked through one earlier, just kind of on my arms, 90 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 3: but it wasn't you know the nightmare scene where it's 91 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 3: you realize it three inches from the spider being on 92 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 3: your face kind of thing. 93 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. So one of the things that's characteristic of gerro 94 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: spider webs is they don't necessarily break, like it takes 95 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: a lot to just walk through them. Like you can 96 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: walk through them and you're kind of gonna bounce off 97 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: a little bit. It's not, you know, not going to 98 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: send you flying backwards, but it's not just going to 99 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: snap as you walk through it. And I saw that 100 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: they those webs are so strong. Birds can perch on them, 101 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:12,799 Speaker 1: like it's not like the birds getting caught in the web, 102 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: but they can like just perch on the on the 103 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: web for a little while where they figure out where 104 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: to fly next. That's a strong spider web, that is. 105 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 2: Is that a good time for a break? 106 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 3: I think so, all right, we'll take a break and 107 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 3: we'll be right back after I go take a quick shower. 108 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 4: Just like the number the sky so much stop. 109 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: So one of the reasons that gero spiders are spreading 110 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: so quickly is because they're they're very new, Like you said, 111 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: a little over ten years since they were first spotted 112 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: in the US, which means that predators haven't I guess 113 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: spotted them yet, so they have a ready supply of 114 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: flying insects they apparently particularly like stink bugs, and little 115 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: competition for those insects. In part, I think because they 116 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: weave their web higher than other spiders that they would 117 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: be competing with for food, and so an ample supply 118 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: of food and no predators means that any species is 119 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: going to just boom for a while. And that's what 120 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: we're in, the golden age of juro spiders booming all 121 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: over the eastern United States. 122 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:44,559 Speaker 2: That's right. 123 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 3: And if you think, you know, how far north are 124 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 3: they going to get? Right now? And I read an 125 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 3: article I think from June twenty four that said West 126 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 3: Virginia is about as far north as they've gone so far, 127 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 3: except up for a satellite population in Baltimore. So they, 128 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 3: I guess, got on a container, went to Baltimore, and 129 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 3: we're like, this isn't so bad. I think one of 130 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 3: the things we didn't mention that, you know, since they're 131 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 3: so native to Georgia especially or not native, I guess, 132 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 3: but invaded in Georgia. First, the University of Georgia has 133 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 3: done a lot of studying on them, and they found 134 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 3: that it turns out these guys can live in a 135 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 3: lot colder weather than they previously thought they could. 136 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 2: So they'll be to you soon New Jersey, New York 137 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: and beyond. 138 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, so a little bit more about the actual spiders 139 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: themselves and how they behave. You'll notice like there's a 140 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: couple of different webs basically right up on each other. 141 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: Gerald spiders live very close together. I guess they're not 142 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: super territorial, if at all. And again, if you see 143 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: a beautiful spider in the web, it's a female and 144 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: there's probably a male trying to get to her, and 145 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: he's using all sorts of cute little tricks to make 146 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: his way from one place to another toward his intended 147 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:03,679 Speaker 1: love target. 148 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 2: Oh man, he almost said lover. 149 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: I would not say that. I'm so I get so 150 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: deeply disturbed by that word for some reason. 151 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 2: Oh me too. 152 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 3: I think a lot of people have that reaction. There's 153 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 3: something and not only that, but the phrase take a lover. 154 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: It's just like, yes, it's so gross to me. Oh 155 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: my god. That and moist and if you put them together. 156 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 3: Is oh goodness me, you need some of that. Bach 157 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:30,559 Speaker 3: Studio before a joke. 158 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, oh goodness, how did this get so dirty 159 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: all of a sudden? 160 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 3: All right, so they live close to each other. The 161 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 3: males are trying to get the attention. They may float 162 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 3: on little cobweby type things and just be like, hey, 163 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 3: look over here. And the reason they don't just jump 164 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 3: up in a web and say, let's get this thing 165 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 3: over with is because the female will probably kill the 166 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 3: male and eat it. So they're they're walking a very 167 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 3: fine line trying to get some attention without being eaten. 168 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 3: So the University of Georgia professor said, you know a 169 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 3: lot of times, like wabb of female is eating something, 170 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 3: they might just walk up and say, hey, you enjoying that? 171 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 2: What do you think of me? 172 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: They apparently also the males will like fly float on 173 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: the air with a little bit of gossamer, like a 174 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 1: little parachute or a hang glider, from tree to tree 175 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: or branch to branch, making their way toward a web, 176 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: which is pretty cute if you ask me. 177 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 2: But my friend, should people be killing these things because 178 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 2: they're invasive? 179 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: No, you shouldn't. For one thing, it's not entirely clear 180 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: what kind of impact they're having on the ecosystems they 181 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: move into. But there's certainly no apocalyptic impacts going on. Yeah, 182 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: because everything seems to be fine and the other spider 183 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: populations don't seem to be shrinking as the duro spiders 184 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: move in. That's a really bizarre thing if that's true. 185 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: If they're having like no weird impact. But again, they 186 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: expect that they're going to start being predated on. It's 187 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: harder to say than you'd think. Yeah, pretty soon, so 188 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: we don't shouldn't have much to worry about. And I 189 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: hope this isn't one of those podcasts that age is 190 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: like milk, you know. Yeah, but yes, I'm hoping that 191 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: all the entomologists are right where they're like, just relax, everybody. 192 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: They're poisonous or they're venomous, and they will bite you 193 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 1: under certain circumstances. But if you leave them alone, or 194 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: even if you walk into their web, more often than 195 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: not they're going to run away from you. So to 196 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: answer your question a very long, roundabout way, no, you 197 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: should not kill them. 198 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 4: No. 199 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 3: I think they're basically saying, hey, there's plenty of stink bugs, 200 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 3: so that's fine. It's not like they're killing off the 201 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 3: honey bees and if they do bite you, it'll you know, 202 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 3: you might get a little local reaction, but it's not 203 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 3: the kind of venom that's going to do any kind 204 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 3: of harm to you. 205 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: Really, No. And this article likened it to a beasting, 206 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 1: and I remember you me getting a bitten by one 207 00:10:58,240 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: of these, and I asked her. I was like, was 208 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: it like a beast thing? She's like, nah, it wasn't. 209 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 1: It wasn't nearly as bad. Yeah, So I decided that 210 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 1: wasn't a dramatic enough story. So I was gonna tell 211 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: everybody that her hand blew up like a cabbage patch doll. 212 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 2: She got bitten by one. How how'd that happen? 213 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: She was gardening and they are all over our yard 214 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: and they've got in like one of her rose bushes 215 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: while she was deadheading or roses, and yeah, she got 216 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: too close and it went. And that was that. 217 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 2: I'm gonna get you me some gardening gloves. 218 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: Oh she's got some, but sure give her some more. 219 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 2: You should reach into all the heidi holes with those 220 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 2: things on. 221 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, especially those heavy duty ones. 222 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 2: You got anything else? 223 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: I don't think so. No, I feel like we covered everything. Chuck, 224 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: you know what that means short stuff is out. 225 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,960 Speaker 4: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. 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