ATLANTA — They may look intimidating, but researchers say the bite of the bright yellow Joro spider is nothing to fear.

A new study from Clemson University, believed to be the first controlled bite study of its kind, tested whether Joro spiders bite humans and, if so, how painful the bite is. Associate Professor David Coyle with Clemson’s Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation says 23 people volunteered to be bitten as part of the research.

“What we found was it’s basically like a big mosquito bite,” Coyle said. Participants rated the pain between 1 and 2 on a 10-point scale, and any irritation typically disappeared within 24 hours.

Coyle added that Joro spiders are not aggressive and rarely bite unless provoked.

“If you just walk into one of their webs and get the web all over your head, they are not going to latch on to your noggin and bite; they are going to try to get off of you,” he said.

Researchers say the findings confirm that Joro spiders pose minimal health risks to humans.

WSB Radio’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.