Miami — Giant African Snail, which can grow to fist size and carry meningitis-causing parasites, was declared eradicated from South Florida last year after a decade of human-pest battle.
They are baaack.
Horrible snails — known to alien lovers as GALS — It’s been found In June, gardeners in Pasco County, north of Tampa, discovered their population for the first time outside of South Florida.
To try to contain them, state officials put part of Pasco County under quarantine in the New Port Richey area this week. Plants, garden waste, debris, compost and building materials cannot be legally moved without permission for fear of spreading clinging mollusks. Quarantine is within a radius of approximately 0.5 miles from the identified snail population and can change or expand if more snails are found.
The return of snails is amazing, with wildlife becoming a hot topic on a daily basis and a record-breaking 215-pound Burmese python caught in the Everglades at the end of last year, with invasive species routinely causing havoc. It was an unwelcome development.A few years ago, especially during the rainy spring, Palm Beach County exterminators Soaring phone calls about Bufo toadsIt was found mating in the pool because the toxin is so toxic that it can kill dogs.
“Pasco County is considerably drier than South Florida due to its large scrub habitat,” said Bill Khan, an associate professor of animal damage management at the University of Florida. Giant African snails usually “like moist, dense vegetation.”
“Of course, in areas that are irrigated, such as nurseries and home landscapes, they will be completely happy,” he added.
Giant African Snail is “one of the most invasive pests on the planet”. According to the Florida Agricultural Consumer Services Department.. They eat more than 500 varieties of plants and eat plaster “as a source of calcium”. They hide in cool, damp places during the day, feed at night and lay thousands of eggs throughout their lives. Some snails can grow to 8 inches long and 5 inches wide.
It may also carry the parasite rat paragonimiasis. This causes meningitis in humans and animals. For example, when people eat unwashed lettuce or other produce that snails have slipped on, leaving traces of mucus.
“Don’t handle snails without gloves!” The agricultural sector warned.
Dealing with invasive species that are destructive rather than just annoying can be very expensive, Dr. Khan said. Florida citizens spend an estimated $ 100 million annually to fight a single pest, the dry wood termites of West India.
On Wednesday, the state of Pasco County with a snail diet containing pesticides approved for use in metaldehyde, plant and ornamental crops, fruit trees and other plants that destroy and kill the giant African snail’s digestive system. Processing of the quarantine area has started.
According to the agricultural sector, which has several pest detection dogs, rescue Labrador melons specially trained to detect giant african snails are “actively investigating” the area. (I’m sitting when I smell a snail.)
Florida has previously eradicated snails twice. After appearing in Miami-Dade County last year in 2011, and after being first discovered in the state in 1975 and 1969.Agricultural sector Announced in 2021 As a result of efforts to eradicate more than 168,000 snails collected, the Giant African Snail has not been found in Miami-Dade County since 2017.
The snails found in Pasco County look different from those previously seen in Miami-Dade County. The flesh is creamy white, not greyish-brown.
This color makes state officials suspect that the Pasco County snail population may have started with a pet snail that was released into the wild. Creamy white meat is “a more desirable property for illegal pet trade,” said Christina Chitti, director of public relations for the plant industry in the agriculture sector. Giant African Snail is illegal to import into the United States without permission.
Still, it’s just a premonition. “You probably don’t know what the population of Pasco County has become,” said Dr. Khan.