Maine & New Hampshire Could See A Giant Spider Invasion This Year

If you were to put together a list of critters that REALLY freak people out, your list would probably be topped by three - snakes, sharks, and... SPIDERS!

If the idea of coming near these hairy, eight legged freaks, terrifies you, you're not alone.  Arachniphobia is a big issue for a lot of people.

If you're not a fan of spiders, you are really not going to like this news.

According to Axios, researchers from the University of Georgia say we could see an "invasion" of Large Joro spiders this spring and summer.  This invasive spider species, which can grow to be the size of a child's hand, travel by "ballooning".  They are able to fly on air currents.

They were first spotted in Georgia and have been seen as far north as Delaware.  However, as they adapt well to the cold, there is a chance we could see them travel all the way up the east coast.   And, given how many eggs a momma spider lays at one time (remember Charlotte's Web?), we could end up dealing with MILLIONS of these guys.

The spiders are named after the Jorogumo, a creature from Japanese folklore that can change into a woman or a spider before it attacks and kills its prey.  They are black, blue, yellow, and red in color.  They can grow to be three inches.  Yes, that doesn't sound like much, but a three inch spider is a BIG spider.

Originally from Japan, it is believed they first came to the United States on board shipping containers in 2013.

The good news is that they are harmless to humans because their fangs are not large enough to penetrate the skin of most people.

Take a look: