Giant snails put a portion of South Florida under quarantine as state goes for the kill
A quarantine zone has been established in a section of South Broward and North Miami-Dade to contain the spread of giant African land snails, the state Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services announced Tuesday.
“Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials, within, through or from the defined quarantine area without a compliance agreement,” according to the statement.
A giant African land snail was confirmed in Miramar on June 2. The snails, which grow as long as eight inches, have a distinctive whirled, brown-mottled shell. They can produce up to 2,500 eggs a year.
The quarantine area is bounded by Pembroke Road to the north, Southwest 62nd Avenue to the east, Northwest 215th Street in Miami-Dade to the south, and South University Drive to the west.
The agriculture department will treat properties with metaldehyde-based molluscicide snail bait. According to the department:
“Metaldehyde works by disrupting the mucus production ability of snails and slugs. This reduces their digestion and mobility and makes them susceptible to dehydration. Snails and slugs that have eaten metaldehyde often seek hiding places, become inactive and begin to die within days.”
Originally from East Africa, the snails pose threats to parts of the agriculture industry and human health.
The agriculture department said the snails eat at least 500 different types of plants and consume plaster and stucco off buildings.
Giant African land snails pose a serious health risk to humans by carrying the parasite rat lungworm, known to cause meningitis in humans. The snails should not be handled without proper protection and sanitation.
They have been eradicated twice in Florida. The first detection was in 1969 and was eradicated in 1975. Most recently a 10-year effort in Miami-Dade County, which cost $23 million, ended in 2021 after the collection of about 170,000 snails.
Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami produced this report.
