An invasive Asian spider called the "Joro" (Trichonephila clavata) has run unchecked in NE Georgia. It's a large garden spider, on par with other varieties. They don't bite humans, but they do make a yellow-orange web material that is 2-3 times stronger than other North American spiders. This material allows them to build webs much bigger and much further off the ground. In August you'll see webs between the tops of phone poles, 30 ft off the ground and 30 ft between poles. It's incredible !
The problem is they also build these webs at ground level. And when mowing, if you pass between trees or tall bushes you're very likely to get a face full of very strong, self-adhesive web material which may (or may not) have a large female spider wrapped in it. It's simply "creepy" to mow here now from mid-July to Labor Day, unless you walk the yard first and use a broom handle to clear away the webs.
"Necessity is a Mother" and I was trying to think of a way to do this easily. There were some 6ft fiberglass fishing poles in a thrift store for $5, and I had an idea. The foam grip was cut away from a portion of the handle. The cutaway portion fit into the holes for securing the mower jack. Now this flexible rod allows me to get close to tree branches without breaking, and clears the way as I ride though the yard. An orange tip and a few other items were added to the tip as reminders and eye protection.
www.sciencenews.org
The problem is they also build these webs at ground level. And when mowing, if you pass between trees or tall bushes you're very likely to get a face full of very strong, self-adhesive web material which may (or may not) have a large female spider wrapped in it. It's simply "creepy" to mow here now from mid-July to Labor Day, unless you walk the yard first and use a broom handle to clear away the webs.
"Necessity is a Mother" and I was trying to think of a way to do this easily. There were some 6ft fiberglass fishing poles in a thrift store for $5, and I had an idea. The foam grip was cut away from a portion of the handle. The cutaway portion fit into the holes for securing the mower jack. Now this flexible rod allows me to get close to tree branches without breaking, and clears the way as I ride though the yard. An orange tip and a few other items were added to the tip as reminders and eye protection.
What you need to know about giant, invasive joro spiders | Science News
Taking the pulse (literally) of female jorō spiders hints that the arachnid might push farther north than a relative that has stayed put in the South.
www.sciencenews.org