In the US, one of the counties was quarantined due to a giant African snail

Giant African ground achatins are threatening the ecosystem of the US state of Florida. In 2021, the last snail of this species was exterminated, but it has reappeared.

According to CBS News, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) warned that the snail can reach 20 cm in length.

It is noted that in late June, a gardener from Pasco County spotted a giant ahatin north of Tampa. Environmentalists believe that this was due to the illegal trade in pets.

Read also: Rating of the most dangerous garden pests and methods of dealing with them

These snails prefer hot, humid climates and can lay up to 2,500 eggs a year. They can eat more than 500 species of plants, gnawing off plaster and paint from buildings.

The Florida Department of Agriculture added that the Achatina can cause significant damage to tropical and subtropical environments. However, the quarantine was announced because they are carriers of parasites known as rat lungworms. These parasites can cause meningitis in humans and animals. Contact with them and eating plants that they have crawled through and gnawed on can have serious consequences.

Therefore, to contain the pest population, the agency officials quarantined a part of Pasco County in the New Port Richey area. Residents are prohibited from taking plants, soil, garbage, building materials, and compost outside the area.

In the quarantine zone, officials began using snail bait containing metaldehyde, an approved pesticide that does not harm plants but destroys the digestive system of mollusks.

We also offer you to learn about effective slug baits.

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