Congratulations to our staff who achieved service milestones in October! 💜 Julie Helm, 30 Years Mary Cribb Stephan, 20 Years Lisa Terry, 20 Years Katie Moore, 10 Years Adair Hoover, 10 Years Necole Richardson, 10 Years news.clemson.edu/service-mil…

It's #SpookySeason... have you seen these creepy crawlies near you? 🕷️ This is the Jorō spider, an invasive species that first appeared in Georgia in 2014. It's since been found in 20+ SC counties, according to jorowatch.org. If you have seen one (or many more) near you, the 2026 Joro Spider Spotting & Photo Contest is happening now through Sunday, Oct. 18! Snap a photo, submit a report and learn more about the contest here: jorowatch.org/season/ ⁠ APPEARANCE⁠ -Females are very large (3" legspan) with vibrant, yellow bodies and blue-green or silvery colored bands on their backs, plus red markings on their bellies. ⁠Legs are long and black with yellow bands.⁠ -Males are much smaller (1" legspan) and appear in various shades of yellow and brown. ⁠ ⁠ LIFE CYCLE⁠ 🕸️ April/May: Eggs hatch; tiny spiders are difficult to spot at this stage.⁠ 🕸️ Late summer: Spiders become noticeable as they approach maturity.⁠ 🕸️ November/December: Females lay eggs before the first major freeze; adult spiders die after the first freeze.⁠ ⁠ MANAGEMENT⁠ -Jorō spiders are not likely to come inside your home, but you might see them on your house or on other structures nearby.⁠ -These spiders can be eliminated using a registered acaricide.⁠ -A stick or broom can be used to knock the spiders from their webs, and you can physically move them far from the original location as they are unlikely to return to that spot.⁠ SEE A JORO? Snap a picture! This helps researchers track the spread of this invasive species. ⁠ FAST FACTS⁠ -Jorō spiders have lookalikes, including the yellow garden spider and the banded garden spider.⁠ -They have not been shown to be a danger to people or pets.⁠ -Reduced populations of native spiders have been documented where there are high Joro spider populations, which suggests a negative ecological impact. ⁠ -The central orb of a Joro spider's web is typically around 2' in diameter; the silk is yellow.⁠ -Webs tend to be found at the edges of forests, in parks, on roadside plants or in yards on trees and on manmade objects like sheds.⁠ ⁠ Life cycle, management and more: hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/t… General information: naisma.org/2024/07/03/the-jo… Addressing common concerns about Joro spiders: news.clemson.edu/studies-sho…