Ya know, cuz the pandemic is getting easier, we need something else to freak us out!

So this is the giant Joro spider native to Japan. He's a colorful big-ass spider.

Does it look big? Because it is. It's about 3 inches in diameter or roughly the size of a soup can. Let's cover the scary part first.

Why are they called 'parachute' spiders?

They have a unique ability to ride their webs in the wind forming a parachute, and can travel far! That's why they are predicted to be all up the East Coast. It's believed they got to Georgia through shipping containers, and that's where they're coming from now. Now other spiders have come on shipping containers, but we don't have to worry about them in Maine because we are Maine. We are cold. That brings us to point two.

They don't mind the cold.

Great. You mind the cold, but they have a higher metabolism and can survive in cold weather. Sigh. They come from Japan which has a similar climate to the U.S.. Scientists say that unlike other tropical spiders, these can spread up the East Coast and survive.

Yup. They're venomous, but you don't have to worry.

Yes, they are poisonous, but they have such tiny little fangs that they probably wouldn't even break your skin. Of course, it's the fear that gets ya! If you can get past the fear of these big ol' spiders, they are super helpful! They eat insects like the stink bugs that invade your home. Scientists say that you should not go around squishing them. Tell that to the person screaming their head off and about to light their house on fire to get rid of one.