WEBVTT - Short Stuff: Joro Spiders

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, there's Chuck,

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<v Speaker 1>there's Jerry there, and we're caught in a web of

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<v Speaker 1>greatness because this is short stuff from stuff you should know.

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<v Speaker 2>Are you sure?

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<v Speaker 1>Oh my brain got zapped for a second there.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh you know.

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<v Speaker 3>I just saw a jiro spider today eating either eating

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<v Speaker 3>a bee or fighting a bee. I don't know what

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<v Speaker 3>was going on, but it was tangling with a bee.

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<v Speaker 1>Could have been two different steps.

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<v Speaker 2>Perhaps.

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<v Speaker 1>I've seen a bunch of them myself. We have them

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<v Speaker 1>all over the house. And I had been remarking to

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<v Speaker 1>myself like, wow, these things are all over the place,

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<v Speaker 1>and you sent this and I was like, oh, well,

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<v Speaker 1>that's why they're an invasive species here in Georgia, South

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<v Speaker 1>Carolina for sure, and they're starting to move a little

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<v Speaker 1>bit northwestward into other southern states like Tennessee and Alabama,

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<v Speaker 1>but definitely up the eastern seaboard. And what we're talking

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<v Speaker 1>about is what CNN called giant, venomous juro spiders are

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<v Speaker 1>infiltrating parts of the US. Can you believe that?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, they're venomous, they're giant, and they are invading,

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<v Speaker 3>but come.

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<v Speaker 1>On, Yeah, So after you guys, hear the short stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>you will realize how just preposterous that headline from CNN is.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, for sure.

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<v Speaker 3>So the scientific name of these beautiful, beautiful spiders are

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<v Speaker 3>Nephila clevada and they are from East Asia. And they

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<v Speaker 3>got over here like a lot of things get over here,

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<v Speaker 3>which is in like shipping containers and stuff. A lot

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<v Speaker 3>of times it's like lumber. That's how you get a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of insects coming in. And they came over from

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<v Speaker 3>East Asia and really made a home here in the

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<v Speaker 3>Southeast since I think twenty thirteen is when they first

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<v Speaker 3>spotted them in Georgia.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, Georgia leads the way in duro spiders.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Atlanta is the hub.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think my house is the hub actually there.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, you're also seeing a lot of them now because

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<v Speaker 3>the adults come out and spin their webs in August September, October.

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<v Speaker 1>So, like you said, they're from East Asia and in

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<v Speaker 1>Japan they're called juro gummo. And the reason I say juro,

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people say joro, which makes sense because

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<v Speaker 1>it's spelled jo ro. But in the Japanese spelling there's

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<v Speaker 1>a long symbol over the second Oh, so the first

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<v Speaker 1>one would not be a hard Oh, it'd be jah

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<v Speaker 1>ro Okay, that's right, and that means entangling or binding bride.

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<v Speaker 1>And you'll see why they call them that. In Korea,

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<v Speaker 1>they're called mudang gumi, which means shaman or fortune teller.

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<v Speaker 1>So however you slice it, these things have pretty cool names,

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<v Speaker 1>and aptly so, because like you said, they're just absolutely

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful and they are pretty good sized enough so that

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<v Speaker 1>you can see like all of them pretty clearly.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean they're big. They're orb weavers, so they're

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<v Speaker 3>gonna weave those big beautiful webs that.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean.

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<v Speaker 3>Their webs can be ten feet wide. The one I

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<v Speaker 3>almost walked into the other day, like face first, was

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<v Speaker 3>probably about four feet wide and strung between two outdoor

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<v Speaker 3>umbrellas that were not close to each other, So I

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<v Speaker 3>don't know if that part counts as the width or not.

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<v Speaker 2>If that does, it was more like eight feet.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow.

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<v Speaker 3>But if you've seen these things and you said, like, oh,

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<v Speaker 3>that's just a garden spider, we have those when I

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<v Speaker 3>was growing up, what are you talking about, guys?

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<v Speaker 2>Not the same spider. The garden spider looks a lot

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<v Speaker 2>like it.

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<v Speaker 3>But there are some differences because they're well different spiders

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<v Speaker 3>garden spiders. The females are bigger than the males, and

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<v Speaker 3>as far as the markings go, the garden spiders have

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<v Speaker 3>yellow and black basically only, and the drawers have yellow

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<v Speaker 3>and dark blue with a little bit of red on

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<v Speaker 3>their belly.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they also have orange bands like around their legs.

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<v Speaker 1>They're just really really pretty. The males of the duro

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<v Speaker 1>spiders too, are smaller and they're kind of looking. So

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<v Speaker 1>if you ever see a gerro spider and you're like, wow,

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<v Speaker 1>that is a cool looking spider, it's a It's a

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<v Speaker 1>female every time. And then the other dead giveaway is

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<v Speaker 1>if it's spinning a web, it's a female, because only

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<v Speaker 1>the females spin webs for gerro spiders. And you said

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<v Speaker 1>you walked face first into or you almost walked face

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<v Speaker 1>first into a web? Correct, have you ever run into one?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, I've walked through some some spider webs at

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<v Speaker 3>my day. Like you do that a lot when you're

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<v Speaker 3>like backpacking because you don't see them on the trail,

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<v Speaker 3>so that happens a lot. And hear that, Like I

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<v Speaker 3>walked through one earlier, just kind of on my arms,

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<v Speaker 3>but it wasn't you know the nightmare scene where it's

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<v Speaker 3>you realize it three inches from the spider being on

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<v Speaker 3>your face kind of thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. So one of the things that's characteristic of gerro

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<v Speaker 1>spider webs is they don't necessarily break, like it takes

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<v Speaker 1>a lot to just walk through them. Like you can

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<v Speaker 1>walk through them and you're kind of gonna bounce off

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit. It's not, you know, not going to

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<v Speaker 1>send you flying backwards, but it's not just going to

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<v Speaker 1>snap as you walk through it. And I saw that

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<v Speaker 1>they those webs are so strong. Birds can perch on them,

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<v Speaker 1>like it's not like the birds getting caught in the web,

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<v Speaker 1>but they can like just perch on the on the

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<v Speaker 1>web for a little while where they figure out where

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<v Speaker 1>to fly next. That's a strong spider web, that is.

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<v Speaker 2>Is that a good time for a break?

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<v Speaker 3>I think so, all right, we'll take a break and

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<v Speaker 3>we'll be right back after I go take a quick shower.

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<v Speaker 4>Just like the number the sky so much stop.

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<v Speaker 1>So one of the reasons that gero spiders are spreading

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<v Speaker 1>so quickly is because they're they're very new, Like you said,

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<v Speaker 1>a little over ten years since they were first spotted

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<v Speaker 1>in the US, which means that predators haven't I guess

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<v Speaker 1>spotted them yet, so they have a ready supply of

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<v Speaker 1>flying insects they apparently particularly like stink bugs, and little

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<v Speaker 1>competition for those insects. In part, I think because they

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<v Speaker 1>weave their web higher than other spiders that they would

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<v Speaker 1>be competing with for food, and so an ample supply

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<v Speaker 1>of food and no predators means that any species is

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<v Speaker 1>going to just boom for a while. And that's what

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<v Speaker 1>we're in, the golden age of juro spiders booming all

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<v Speaker 1>over the eastern United States.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right.

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<v Speaker 3>And if you think, you know, how far north are

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<v Speaker 3>they going to get? Right now? And I read an

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<v Speaker 3>article I think from June twenty four that said West

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<v Speaker 3>Virginia is about as far north as they've gone so far,

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<v Speaker 3>except up for a satellite population in Baltimore. So they,

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<v Speaker 3>I guess, got on a container, went to Baltimore, and

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<v Speaker 3>we're like, this isn't so bad. I think one of

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<v Speaker 3>the things we didn't mention that, you know, since they're

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<v Speaker 3>so native to Georgia especially or not native, I guess,

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<v Speaker 3>but invaded in Georgia. First, the University of Georgia has

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<v Speaker 3>done a lot of studying on them, and they found

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<v Speaker 3>that it turns out these guys can live in a

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<v Speaker 3>lot colder weather than they previously thought they could.

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<v Speaker 2>So they'll be to you soon New Jersey, New York

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<v Speaker 2>and beyond.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so a little bit more about the actual spiders

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<v Speaker 1>themselves and how they behave. You'll notice like there's a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of different webs basically right up on each other.

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<v Speaker 1>Gerald spiders live very close together. I guess they're not

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<v Speaker 1>super territorial, if at all. And again, if you see

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<v Speaker 1>a beautiful spider in the web, it's a female and

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<v Speaker 1>there's probably a male trying to get to her, and

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<v Speaker 1>he's using all sorts of cute little tricks to make

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<v Speaker 1>his way from one place to another toward his intended

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<v Speaker 1>love target.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh man, he almost said lover.

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<v Speaker 1>I would not say that. I'm so I get so

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<v Speaker 1>deeply disturbed by that word for some reason.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh me too.

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<v Speaker 3>I think a lot of people have that reaction. There's

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<v Speaker 3>something and not only that, but the phrase take a lover.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just like, yes, it's so gross to me. Oh

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<v Speaker 1>my god. That and moist and if you put them together.

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<v Speaker 3>Is oh goodness me, you need some of that. Bach

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<v Speaker 3>Studio before a joke.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah yeah, oh goodness, how did this get so dirty

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<v Speaker 1>all of a sudden?

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<v Speaker 3>All right, so they live close to each other. The

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<v Speaker 3>males are trying to get the attention. They may float

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<v Speaker 3>on little cobweby type things and just be like, hey,

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<v Speaker 3>look over here. And the reason they don't just jump

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<v Speaker 3>up in a web and say, let's get this thing

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<v Speaker 3>over with is because the female will probably kill the

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<v Speaker 3>male and eat it. So they're they're walking a very

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<v Speaker 3>fine line trying to get some attention without being eaten.

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<v Speaker 3>So the University of Georgia professor said, you know a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of times, like wabb of female is eating something,

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<v Speaker 3>they might just walk up and say, hey, you enjoying that?

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<v Speaker 2>What do you think of me?

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<v Speaker 1>They apparently also the males will like fly float on

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<v Speaker 1>the air with a little bit of gossamer, like a

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<v Speaker 1>little parachute or a hang glider, from tree to tree

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<v Speaker 1>or branch to branch, making their way toward a web,

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<v Speaker 1>which is pretty cute if you ask me.

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<v Speaker 2>But my friend, should people be killing these things because

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<v Speaker 2>they're invasive?

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<v Speaker 1>No, you shouldn't. For one thing, it's not entirely clear

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<v Speaker 1>what kind of impact they're having on the ecosystems they

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<v Speaker 1>move into. But there's certainly no apocalyptic impacts going on. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>because everything seems to be fine and the other spider

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<v Speaker 1>populations don't seem to be shrinking as the duro spiders

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<v Speaker 1>move in. That's a really bizarre thing if that's true.

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<v Speaker 1>If they're having like no weird impact. But again, they

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<v Speaker 1>expect that they're going to start being predated on. It's

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<v Speaker 1>harder to say than you'd think. Yeah, pretty soon, so

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<v Speaker 1>we don't shouldn't have much to worry about. And I

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<v Speaker 1>hope this isn't one of those podcasts that age is

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<v Speaker 1>like milk, you know. Yeah, but yes, I'm hoping that

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<v Speaker 1>all the entomologists are right where they're like, just relax, everybody.

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<v Speaker 1>They're poisonous or they're venomous, and they will bite you

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<v Speaker 1>under certain circumstances. But if you leave them alone, or

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<v Speaker 1>even if you walk into their web, more often than

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<v Speaker 1>not they're going to run away from you. So to

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<v Speaker 1>answer your question a very long, roundabout way, no, you

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<v Speaker 1>should not kill them.

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<v Speaker 4>No.

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<v Speaker 3>I think they're basically saying, hey, there's plenty of stink bugs,

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<v Speaker 3>so that's fine. It's not like they're killing off the

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<v Speaker 3>honey bees and if they do bite you, it'll you know,

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<v Speaker 3>you might get a little local reaction, but it's not

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<v Speaker 3>the kind of venom that's going to do any kind

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<v Speaker 3>of harm to you.

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<v Speaker 1>Really, No. And this article likened it to a beasting,

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<v Speaker 1>and I remember you me getting a bitten by one

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<v Speaker 1>of these, and I asked her. I was like, was

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<v Speaker 1>it like a beast thing? She's like, nah, it wasn't.

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<v Speaker 1>It wasn't nearly as bad. Yeah, So I decided that

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't a dramatic enough story. So I was gonna tell

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<v Speaker 1>everybody that her hand blew up like a cabbage patch doll.

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<v Speaker 2>She got bitten by one. How how'd that happen?

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<v Speaker 1>She was gardening and they are all over our yard

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<v Speaker 1>and they've got in like one of her rose bushes

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<v Speaker 1>while she was deadheading or roses, and yeah, she got

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<v Speaker 1>too close and it went. And that was that.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm gonna get you me some gardening gloves.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh she's got some, but sure give her some more.

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<v Speaker 2>You should reach into all the heidi holes with those

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<v Speaker 2>things on.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, for sure, especially those heavy duty ones.

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<v Speaker 2>You got anything else?

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think so. No, I feel like we covered everything. Chuck,

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<v Speaker 1>you know what that means short stuff is out.

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