--Chad Love

As if giant snakes weren't enough, south Florida is now being invaded by giant snails that can eat the paint and plaster right off your house.

From this story in the International Business Times:

Giant African Snails, which are almost the size of a man's palm, have invaded a residential area in Miami-Dade County. The Agence France-Presse has reported that South Florida continues to battle the snails and that since last September, 35,000 of the creatures have been scooped up. More than 500 specimens were found last week in a garden, that reported noted. Investigators aren't sure how the invaders, which can grow up to 8 inches long, got into the area. However, Florida's Department of Agriculture is working to rid the area of the giant African snails as soon as possible because they eat at least 500 different types of plants. Investigators are worried that the snails will impact Florida's ecosystem. Giant African Snails also destroy stucco and plaster.

"We have collected over a thousand so far and we have only just begun," Denise Feiber, public information director for Florida's Division of Plant Industry, told ABC News. "They leave excrement all over the sides of houses. They're very nasty," she said. "These things are not the cute little snails that you see." Giant African Snails can also spread disease, as they carry a parasite that can cause meningitis, Feiber said. Agriculture authorities knew they had a crisis on their hands after a homeowner reported finding the snails in her yard. The snails are said to have both the male and female reproductive organs and lay some 1,200 eggs a year. The slimy snails were found in Florida in the late 1960s when a boy smuggled three snails on a flight and raised them as pets. However, his grandmother got tired of them and freed them into her garden, ABC News reported.

Giant, disease-ridden, hermaphrodite snails that eat your house, convert it into a mucuous-like trail of poo, and then pump out 1200 kids to start the cycle all over again? That's not a pest. That's one of those 50's-era radioactive super monsters that we need Godzilla to roast with his atomic breath, right quick. Seriously, just how much invasive species bad news can south Florida handle? What's next?

Comments (14)

from jakenbake wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

Some good-hearted person will transplant a "natural predator" that will eat the snails I'm sure. Rinse and repeat.

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from huntenthusiest wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

Two questions. What do they taste like? Who's the cartoon character holding one in the pic?

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from dleurquin wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

Good point Hunt. Where's this guy's fourth finger? Did the snail eat it? Or, is Homer Simpson moonlighting for Florida's Department of Agriculture?

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from Aaron Goodman wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

They eat them in Africa. Don't we have a few million homeless here in SoFL that could use a good meal? Problem solved. Make their children harvest them. Newt would be so proud...

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from Brian Lorsung wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

His/her pinky is being covered by the snail.

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from Quinton Schmelz... wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

We have them here in Papua Niugini, an invasive species here as well. Rampant, impossible to kill, and they destroy plant life.
And yes they do fit into the 'giant' category. The one in the pic isn't near the biggest they get.

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from FL Hunter wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

I don't think ever eating a critter that can give you meningitis is ever a good idea. It never stops though its always something new causing damage in South Florida.

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from larson014 wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

her/his pinky finger is just visible under the snails "neck"

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from suburban bushwacker wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

Sadly i've tried them and they were terrible

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from tom warner wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

If anyone has followed what has been going on in Florida over the years, they will know that this is just one of seemingly countless invasive species now present in that ruined state. What a ----hole we have turned that once-paradise into!

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from country road wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

The only good thing I can think of about them is that they can't outrun you when you go to catch them.

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from Remaxman wrote 14 weeks 23 hours ago

The state should send some volunteers to all of the neighborhood elementary schools to visit each class, explain the problem and hand each kid a container of salt. Kids will have fun & problem solved! Fzzzzzzzzz....

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from hutter wrote 14 weeks 23 hours ago

I think they should send as many as they can to Washington D.C. There are plenty of slime trails to follow there. Also plenty of sh** everywhere. Wait I think they are already there.

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from Horseapples wrote 14 weeks 22 hours ago

Es-Car-Goats?

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from huntenthusiest wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

Two questions. What do they taste like? Who's the cartoon character holding one in the pic?

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jakenbake wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

Some good-hearted person will transplant a "natural predator" that will eat the snails I'm sure. Rinse and repeat.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from suburban bushwacker wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

Sadly i've tried them and they were terrible

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Horseapples wrote 14 weeks 22 hours ago

Es-Car-Goats?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from dleurquin wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

Good point Hunt. Where's this guy's fourth finger? Did the snail eat it? Or, is Homer Simpson moonlighting for Florida's Department of Agriculture?

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Aaron Goodman wrote 14 weeks 2 days ago

They eat them in Africa. Don't we have a few million homeless here in SoFL that could use a good meal? Problem solved. Make their children harvest them. Newt would be so proud...

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Brian Lorsung wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

His/her pinky is being covered by the snail.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Quinton Schmelz... wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

We have them here in Papua Niugini, an invasive species here as well. Rampant, impossible to kill, and they destroy plant life.
And yes they do fit into the 'giant' category. The one in the pic isn't near the biggest they get.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from FL Hunter wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

I don't think ever eating a critter that can give you meningitis is ever a good idea. It never stops though its always something new causing damage in South Florida.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from larson014 wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

her/his pinky finger is just visible under the snails "neck"

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from tom warner wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

If anyone has followed what has been going on in Florida over the years, they will know that this is just one of seemingly countless invasive species now present in that ruined state. What a ----hole we have turned that once-paradise into!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from country road wrote 14 weeks 1 day ago

The only good thing I can think of about them is that they can't outrun you when you go to catch them.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Remaxman wrote 14 weeks 23 hours ago

The state should send some volunteers to all of the neighborhood elementary schools to visit each class, explain the problem and hand each kid a container of salt. Kids will have fun & problem solved! Fzzzzzzzzz....

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from hutter wrote 14 weeks 23 hours ago

I think they should send as many as they can to Washington D.C. There are plenty of slime trails to follow there. Also plenty of sh** everywhere. Wait I think they are already there.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.