Florida has a big problem in the form of African land snails. They were discovered in Miami four years ago for the first time since the species was eradicated in the 1960s and it looks like they're not going anywhere anytime soon.
The growth of the African land snail population was slow but sure, prompting an eradication effort in Florida costing the state agricultural department $10.8 million. That's 10 times more than the amount officials previously spent the last time the snails invaded Florida. That previous eradication program was successful but it took 10 years before state officials could consider the job was done.
According to Mark Fagan, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Agriculture, African land snails are a threat to both humans and animals, as well as the state's agriculture so the snails can't be allowed to thrive.
Aside from voraciously eating 500 different plants, African land snails have also developed a liking for stucco, eating them off houses. They are a danger to people because they can transmit a rare form of meningitis if they consume feces from infected rats. To acquire the infection though, people would have to eat an infected snail.
At first, organic pesticides were used to kill the snails. When that wasn't so successful, state officials opted for a molluscicide with metaldehyde. Tbe molluscicide was effective, killing off African land snails at least 95 percent of the time, that is until the snails turned to climbing trees to escape chemical pellets strewn on the ground.
It also didn't help that the snails are hermaphrodites. This means they can lay up to 1,200 eggs a year on their own, with each egg around the size of one Tic Tac.
African land snails can disappear for months, giving the false impression that they have been eradicated, only to resurface after hibernating underground when hurricane season comes to enjoy the wet and warm weather conditions.
Last year, state officials thought eradication efforts were working but were shocked to discover almost 5,000 of the snails in and around one home in Pinecrest in Miami. The home had a well-kept yard that always received sufficient water so it was a paradise for the snails.
State officials have also set up a hotline locals can call when they spot African land snails, allowing workers to be dispatched to affected areas for clearing efforts. It is still unclear how the snails found their way to Florida but officials believe smuggling for culinary purposes or religious practices are to be blamed.
Photo: Gail Hampshire | Flickr
