Are Joro Spiders Bad?

We watched the media to see what is being said about the Joro spider. “Is the Joro spider bad?” is a common question, and a reasonable one. It makes sense. A large colorful spider with a massive web that is particularly strong… that’s the stuff that causes fear in some people who don’t understand spiders. Moreover, because they are new, people don’t have much experience with them. Sensationalist articles and people posing irrational fear matched with general ignorance has led to a lot of uninformed posts and responses on social media.

Let’s cut to the chase. No. Not bad.

Obviously we have a bias. We are pro-Joro, but not the degree that we will avoid the hard questions. We know they are impacting the ecology. That said, our favorite spider is not bad.

Let’s dig a little deeper. Defining bad is part of the question.

Are they bad morally or ethically?
Of course not. They are spiders, not humans (who are, thankfully, usually morally good and ethical).

Are they a blessing or a non blessing?
That’s a theological question and not the scope of this website, but a Christian considers all creation a gift from God and therefore a blessing. If you are defining blessing as whether or not you want something, that’s a question of relativity. One man’s scary monster is another man’s object of beauty.

What about the ecology?
This is a topic of ongoing research, and will not be answered quickly. However, some immediate studies have led researchers to say that the Joro spider is not negatively impacting our ecology. Let’s see what the researchers are saying:

1. Joros don’t appear to have much of an effect on local food webs or ecosystems, said Andy Davis, a research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology. more
2. “There’s really no reason to go around actively squishing them,” said Benjamin Frick. He is an undergraduate researcher who worked with Andy Davis on a research study looking at the Joro spider. more
3. The Georgia DNR assures us that these spiders are harmless to both humans and animals, and their role in the ecosystem might even be advantageous by reducing pest populations. more
4. “These are not just benign spiders coming to catch and kill bad things; these are pushing out native species and catching and killing whatever happens to get in their webs,” Coyle said. “Are they bad or good? It’s very nuanced depending on your perspective.” more