The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs (FDACS) confirmed that snails had “set up” in the city of Port Richey, north of Tampa, on June 23, and the area was quarantined the following day.
Giant snails – the size of a rat – have forced an entire Florida town into quarantine. The snails in question, which are native to Africa, carry a parasite called lungworm that can cause meningitis in humans, according to an article published in the Daily Mail.
This quarantine will last for two years, but unlike the coronavirus lockdown, residents are simply prohibited from moving plants, soil, garden waste, rubble, compost and building materials outside the zone.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs (FDACS) confirmed that snails… “took up residence” in the city of Port Richey, north of Tampa, on June 23, and the area has since been quarantined the following day.
It is worth mentioning that the snail is also harmful to the environment, as it feeds on more than 500 different plants, while it has a preference for concrete, which is harmful to infrastructure.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the snails were first spotted in south Florida in the 1960s and it took nearly 10 years and $1 million to rid the area of them. They reproduce quickly, laying around 1,200 eggs in a year! After a single mating, each snail can produce 100 to 500 eggs.
Snails are also difficult to eradicate because they have no natural predators. Each snail can live up to nine years and reach a length of about the size of an adult’s hand from the tip of the finger to the crease under the palm.
Treatment to eradicate this pest began on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, using a pesticide called metaldehyde known to control snails and slugs. However, it is approved and safe for vegetable and ornamental crops in the field or greenhouse, fruit trees, small fruit plants, avocado and citrus orchards, berry plants, banana plants and in residential areas.
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