Giant African Land Snails Have Invaded a County in Florida

(Photo: Charles J. Sharp/Wikimedia Commons) Florida’s Pasco County has been under quarantine for over a week, thanks to a growing population of invasive, disease-carrying giant snails.

The giant African land snail is native to, well, Africa, but was confirmed to have appeared in Florida by the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The species’ invasion was first identified on June 23. Residents of Pasco County’s New Port Richey area have been advised to limit the movement of plants, soil, and other “regulated articles” to avoid inadvertently spreading the snails themselves, as well as their mucus or their eggs.

Aside from the risk to native agriculture, giant African land snails sometimes carry a parasite called rat lungworm, which can cause meningitis in humans. The FDACS warns that touching the snails without gloves and other protective equipment could result in transmission of the disease. A single snail can lay up to 2,500 eggs per year, making population control uniquely difficult amid a wider public health emergency. They can also burrow into soil and “hibernate” to survive cold or dry temperatures for up to a year. 

(Photo: Nicole Casuso, FDACS-DPI)

It hasn’t been confirmed how the giant African land snail made its way to Florida, but the FDACS suspects the invasion has something to do with the illegal pet trade. The US prohibits people from keeping the snails as pets, due to both disease and population control concerns. Of course, people attempt to sneak them home anyway. If government officials don’t spot the snails mid-transport, the invasive species ends up thriving and reproducing in yards, gardens, and other plant-heavy areas. The FDACS warns the snails make meals out of more than 500 native plants, as well as stucco and exterior paint, which the snails consume for calcium. 

Luckily, the species’ terrifying size doesn’t make it impervious to pest control. Despite growing to eight inches long and five inches in diameter, the snails are susceptible to metaldehyde, a plant-safe pesticide. Treatment typically includes surrounding plants and crops with granules, sprays, or dusts containing high concentrations of metaldehyde. The FDACS says it began using the pesticide to treat the New Port Richey area on June 29. The full course of treatment could take up to three years. 

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