The Bay State may soon be dealing with a new invasive species.

This could be the year those giant Joro spiders arrive in Massachusetts, according to a leading arachnid researcher who emphasized “there’s no stopping them” from moving up the East Coast.

The massive yellow and blue-black spiders have been spreading for years across the Southeast, where there are now millions of the eight-legged creatures.

The spiders are really good at hitching rides on cars so “it wouldn’t surprise me if we see one this year in Massachusetts,” Andrew Davis, a research scientist at the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology, told the Herald on Wednesday.

“We know from research that these spiders are perfectly capable of living in the Northeast,” he added. “The reality is there are millions in this country, and there’s no stopping them.

“All indications are these spiders are going to occupy a huge portion of this country and into southern Canada,” Davis said. “The only question is when.”

Related Articles

Massachusetts General Hospital fires medical assistant who allegedly assaulted patient: ‘We are deeply troubled by the allegations’

House Dems., led by Bay State lawmaker, push to force vote on contraception

Low-income Massachusetts families can get cash for food this summer, Maura Healey announces

Wind energy could save New England customers hundreds of millions on electricity: Report

A flamingo was spotted at a Cape Cod beach: ‘That’s crazy… Definitely a rare event’

Officially known as Trichonephila clavata, the East Asian Joro spider first arrived in Georgia around 2013. The species is native to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China, and likely hitched a ride stateside on a shipping container.

The species has since rapidly spread across the state and much of the Southeast.

“They have been a bit of a nuisance here in Georgia at times,” Davis said. “Their webs can be everywhere in the fall, and in our way sometimes… Some people don’t like seeing them.”

While the spiders are large, they actually might be the shyest spider ever documented, scientists found in a study last year.

“They’re not out to get us, and won’t attack you,” Davis said. “They’re real shy and gentle creatures. Like any other spider, it’s just trying to live its life. If we leave them alone, they’ll leave us alone.

“We need to learn to live with them,” he added.

If you pick one up, the spider might try to bite you. But its fangs likely wouldn’t be large enough to pierce your skin.

The spiders eat flies and mosquitoes, along with native pollinators like bees.

Davis said, “The spiders may also become a food source for our native birds.”

The Joro spider may be the shyest spider ever documented, researchers found in a study. (Peter Frey/UGA)