Invasion of the Giant African Land Snails!

Invasion of the Giant African Land Snails!

If you checked social media a week or so ago, you may have been surprised by a headline proclaiming that giant snails are in Florida and are requiring residents to quarantine their plants in the meantime. That is quite the story to stumble upon! Normal snails are gross enough, but a giant one that devours our crops sounds too terrible to be true. There is a lot to unpack in this news story, which we definitely will later, but it might be helpful to dive into the general life of a Giant African land snail first.

Nightmare Snails

First of all, it may come as a surprise that there are snails the size of an adult’s fist in the world,  but they do unfortunately exist. Giant African land snails are exactly what they sound like. Originating in east Africa, these mollusks live around greenery and are uncomfortably large. They grow to be about 8 inches long, and can live for up to 10 years if the conditions are good. They are commonly regarded as one of the most dangerous and destructive crop pests in the U.S. if they get the chance to invade. Giant African land snails are actually illegal to import because of their destructive nature. This means that their appearance in the U.S. is either because they are part of an illegal pet trade or they snuck onto some imported cargo without being noticed.

Even though they’re huge, Giant African land snails look and function like normal snails. They have a brown shell with darker stripes across it, and white or brown flesh. They get around by using their muscular foot to secrete mucus and glide across the ground. Considering the size of these pests, their slime trail must be wider than a normal snail is alone! Giant African land snails are also nocturnal, so all of the damage they do to crops is done when we are least likely to catch them.

While one snail is too many in the crop-growing industry, it gets worse when we bring up the fact that they lay about 200 eggs at a time and can lay multiple egg collections in a year. This means they can range anywhere from 1200 to 2400 eggs per year! And since these snails are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female organs, they can mate as often as they want. They prefer hot and humid places, hence the Florida news, so they are more likely to pop up in places like Hawaii or the Caribbean. But they can survive in colder climates by essentially hibernating until it heats up again. So unless these snails are introduced to some pesticides, there is not a natural way to get rid of them in a timely manner, unfortunately. 

But one of the worst aspects of this snail isn’t their voracious appetite or monstrous size. It’s the fact that they carry a parasite, because of course they do. Giant African land snails can carry rat lungworm, which causes meningitis in humans. This is why it’s crucial to never touch one without gloves or proper protection. But for the average homeowner, it’s probably best to just refrain from touching these snails in any circumstance.

The Never-Ending Diet

Unfortunately, the diet of these massive snails does not help their case in why they should be left alone. They are known to eat over 500 kinds of plants, which mainly includes crops that prove to be valuable to our diets and economy later. Some of their favorites are beans, peas, melons, peanuts, cucumbers, cocoa, and bananas. This makes sense considering many of these foods thrive in tropical climates that these snails also love. Other favorite meals of the snails include decorative plants, fungi, seeds, bark, and other snails. If the organic matter isn’t available to them, the snails turn to stucco and paint found on the exterior of houses. The crop-eating is bad enough, but it’s worse when your actual house is affected as well. 

Like other kinds of snails, Giant African land snails need a lot of calcium to keep their shells protective and hard. This is why they naturally gravitate toward organic matter with enough calcium to sustain them for longer. Soil, stucco, and plaster all have the preferred amount of calcium for these pests, which is bad news for both the garden and the house. It’s bad enough when normal snails get into our gardens, which is why avid gardeners know to take immediate measures against them. But considering the diameter of these pests, they probably do enough damage to make gardeners’ and farmers’ jobs much more difficult for years to come.

In Florida News…

Now let’s discuss the most recent news story that introduces yet another worrisome pest to the U.S. But one thing to note first is that this is not even the first time this snail species made its way into Florida! There were two notable invasions in history, and one ended uncomfortably close to this year. The first happened from 1969 to 1975, and the second lasted all the way from 2011 to 2021. It cost about $24 million to completely eradicate the snails in the second invasion, which is quite the budget for garden-devouring pests. 

On June 23, 2022, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced that giant African land snails returned to Florida. The first sightings were in the New Port Richey area in Pasco county, which was quarantined on June 25. It sounds strange to quarantine from a snail since they’re stereotypically so slow, but it’s actually a quarantine for plants and soil. Residents in the affected area are instructed to refrain from moving any affected plants or soil from the area to an outside town, as well as not touching any Giant African land snails. Officials are already hard at work in responding to reports and placing pesticides in the designated areas, and all of the snails are expected to be eradicated within 3 years from now in a best case scenario. They are using metaldehyde, a snail-centered pesticide that slows their metabolism and mucus-production enough to the point where they eventually expire. This is the easiest way to remove them due to the rat lungworm factor we mentioned earlier.

The FDACS warned residents to not touch any Giant African land snails or their mucus trails if they find them. It’s also important to wash fresh produce in general to make sure no dangerous pests made their way into the fruit or vegetables. Some of the earlier reported symptoms after touching Giant African land snails include headache, fever, and sensitivity to light. If you are experiencing these symptoms in this situation, please seek medical attention immediately.

Even though it seems unlikely that states other than Florida will experience Giant African land snail invasions, it’s still worth knowing what to do if you stumble across a snail that looks like it’s straight out of an action-adventure video game. The FDACS advises people to call your state’s department of agriculture or the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service if you spot one of these snails. The best way to prevent these pests from eating our important crops is to report them to the specialists prepared to take care of them, and Florida will hopefully be free of Giant African land snails within the next few years. 

Pest Control Saves the Plants

If you don’t live in Florida, these huge snails are not a current major concern. But it is still comforting to know that pesticide is being implemented in the effected areas to prevent the snails from wreaking havoc on all kinds of crops and homes. Even though giant African land snails aren’t a common pest, there are still plenty of garden pests that will destroy our plants if left alone for long enough. Our eco-friendly treatments are effective against persistent pests without harming your plants or home. Contact us to learn more about we can best serve you and protect your garden against pesky pests, giant snails or not. 

Citations

Foster, T. (2022, July 2). Florida officials plant to eradicate giant African land snails, again. NPR. Available at https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109535868/florida-officials-plan-to-eradicate-giant-african-land-snails-again (Accessed on July 7, 2022)

Giant African land snail. (n.d.). FDACS. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Pests-and-Diseases/Plant-Pests-and-Diseases/Invasive-Mollusks/Giant-African-Land-Snail 

Giant African land snail. (n.d.). Snail World. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.snail-world.com/african-giant-snail/ 

Giant African snail. (n.d.). USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/giant-african-snail/giant-african-snail 

Leyva, M. (2022, July 6). Florida health officials warn residents about invasive giant African land snail. CBS 4 News. Available at https://mycbs4.com/news/local/florida-health-officials-warn-residents-about-invasive-giant-african-land-snail (Accessed on July 7, 2022)

Sampson, Z.T. (2022, June 29). Look out, Pasco: Here come giant African land snails. Tampa Bay Times. Available at https://www.tampabay.com/news/pasco/2022/06/29/look-out-pasco-county-here-come-giant-african-land-snails/ (Accessed on July 7, 2022)

Sottile, Z. (2022, July 3). A Florida county is quarantining after discovery of invasive giant African land snail. CNN. Available at https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/03/us/giant-african-snail-florida-scn-trnd/index.html (Accessed on July 7, 2022)