What Caliber for Four Inch Flying Venomous Spiders?

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Giant, venomous flying spiders pose challenges for residents and local authorities. Fear and apprehension are natural responses to the sudden appearance of such unusual and intimidating creatures. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential for Joro spiders to harm humans, especially if they feel threatened.

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The pest company described the spiders as “hard to miss,” as they have a leg span of up to 4 inches and “a vibrant yellow and black coloration.”

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JESSICA A. BOTELHO
June 5, 2024
Joro Spider Invasion: Giant venomous flying spiders spreading across East Coast (komonews.com)

Assuming you don’t have a good pesticide and an airplane to deliver the chemicals, what caliber do you use when the sky is full of these things? I could see using a 12 gauge Saiga with LOTS of 12 or 18 round magazines loaded with #8 shot. Be sure to have the explosives laid in case you need to clear your escape route.

But, I’m thinking I want an underground bunker with supplies to last until the first freeze. Then a tractor to work under those on the ground and use the handheld wand on the farm sprayer to thin out those in the brush and trees.

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13 thoughts on “What Caliber for Four Inch Flying Venomous Spiders?”

  1. Oh…geez….. #1. All spiders are venomous…. all…of…them. Depending on whether one is hyperallergic…all can be dangerous to humans. #2 I’m glad the article finally got it right…. ballooning, not flying. Lots of spiders balloon….as spiderlings, not as adults which is seemingly what’s pictured. Most people encounter such spiderlings when that ‘itsy bitsy’ spider is found crawing along their arm… The only ‘large’ spider that balloons regularly, and then only in the fall, is a mature femle jumping spider (about the size of your little fingernail). #3 We have lots of fairly large orb spiders, maybe not 4 in. large, but large enough. #4. If you don’t want these, or any, spiders hanging around, there are several good residual chemicals to spray on the borders of your home (doorways), eves and any entrances. Spring and fall applications should do the trick. Oh… as an afterthought… keep alert for their webs and try not to panic if you happen to walk into one, doubt if they’ll come out to play. As for ‘pushing’ out our native species, well, maybe, but there is an old adage in Ecology I learned as a H.S. student. “Every species can be found everywhere in the world, except: 1) Where it hasn’t been able to get to … 2) Where it has been able to get to, but not been able to stay… or 3) Where it has been able to get to, but changed into something else (e.g. ‘evolved’). So, there, FWIW, from a guy who did his Ph.D. work on spiders.

    • This post was for the fun of it. After reading the article, I knew most of what you just said.

      I’ve seen the air across a field filled with tiny spiders “hang gliding.” I was driving tractor in the field. It was in the fall and the evening sun hit just right to accent their webs. It was awesome.

  2. In Louisiana, they will just wonder how to cook it and what kind of hot sauce to put on it.

    • It depends on the time of year and the fire danger. It could be really cool, though… all those wisps of silk igniting… 😍

  5. When I was a kid, I used to shoot garden spiders with my BB gun.
    I’d imagine .22 Snake Shot loads would work pretty well on the adults.

    A couple of years ago I bought a fogger and I buy professional formula insecticides for mosquito control. A side effect is that it does a pretty good job of keeping the spider population under control as well. Here’s hoping it works on these monsters when they make their way to my neck of the woods. Spiders skeeve me out.

  6. Oh that definitely calls for something heavy 16″/50 Naval gun perhaps?

      • High explosive with a timed fuse for an airburst in the middle of them.

        Except that you probably won’t want to do anything, because it’s not large adult spiders ballooning, but tiny baby spiders. Ballooning only supports a tiny weight.

  7. It’s flying f-ing spiders! I’m shooting them with whatever is available! Commando spiders are not descending here. Oh hell yes on the Saiga with mags full of #8 birdshot! I’m filling the air with so much lead the air will not support arachnid life!

    I am not insect phobic but I am putting my clay and skeet skills to work on these things!

  9. My size 13 Jap-flap works wonders. Critical velocity need for that all important abdominal rupture can be obtained in less than a 6” swing.
    Shooting spiders was always a lot of fun.
    But the wife was always complaining, I was scaring the hell out of the kids. And I got tired of having to patch all the holes in the walls.
    And my hearing was bad enough as it is.

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