For the next two years, the citizens of Port Richey in Florida will be forced into quarantine. The cause? An invasion of giant slug weeds that the authorities are trying to put an end to by various means. These invasive creatures are capable of transmitting a parasite that is dangerous to human health, as it affects the pulmonary passages and can lead to meningitis. They destroy plants and cultivated land and also pose a threat to plastic objects and concrete constructions.
The snail is harmful to the environment, feeds on over 500 different plants and has a taste for concrete, damaging infrastructure. Giant snails are native to Africa, over 20 cm long, the size of an average mouse and reproduce in a whirlwind manner. Not a recent problem, but which has now reached enormous dimensions. Unlike the coronavirus lockdown, residents are simply prohibited from moving plants, soil, yard waste, debris, compost and building materials outside the demarcated area.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed that the animal settled in the city of Port Richey, just north of Tampa, on June 23, and the area was quarantined on the day. following. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, land snails were first spotted in South Florida in the 1960s and it took nearly 10 years and $ 1 million to clear them from the area.
“The problem is that these snails reproduce quickly, producing around 1,200 eggs a year,” the experts explain. Each snail contains both female and male reproductive organs. After a single mating, each snail can produce 100 to 500 eggs. These snails can reproduce many more times without mating again and can spawn broods of eggs every two to three months. Snails are also difficult to eradicate because they have no natural predators. Each snail can live up to nine years and grow to eight inches in length (about 20cm). The Florida Department of Agriculture has started a battle against snails that beyond quarantine, involves the use of a treatment to eradicate this pest which consists of a pesticide called metaldehyde known to control snails and because it is safe for plants and fruit. Landowners within the treatment area will be notified in person or via notice sent at least 24 hours prior to the planned pest treatment, warn by the US Department of Agriculture.
Follow LaZampa.it on Facebook (click here), Twitter (click here)Instagram (click here)
Don’t miss the best news and stories from LaZampa, subscribe to the free weekly newsletter (click here)
– Marco and the dog Ares, and the rediscovery of the potty
– “Do butterflies also die?”, The words of the mayor’s son in the face of the fire in Foggiano move
– A fire threatens a shelter in Crotone, 200 dogs saved
– Brazil: live dog found locked in a suitcase in the center of a village
– “Tigger comes back”, but the cat doesn’t listen to him: he has to chase a bear from the backyard
– The beautiful story of Terra, the stray dog adopted by two German boys on holiday in Puglia
– In Iowa found over a thousand pigs died of hunger and thirst: a woman accused of mistreatment
– His dog dies of cancer, the journalist is moved remembering him on TV
– From the DNA of the ancient wolves, clues to the origin of the dogs come
– The story of Midas, the dog thrown in a dumpster was adopted by an entire community
– Every morning a cat sneaks into a stranger’s house to “fix” her hair
– The incredible transformation of Moonie, the abandoned dog with his old dirty harness
– Covid transmitted from a cat to the veterinary, Ilaria Capua: “Don’t worry”
– Covid, a cat “transmitted the virus to a human being: first confirmed case”
– The Astro cat, from the street to the stars
– Faithful dog Thunder refuses to walk away from the fire hydrant where he last saw his owner
– The story of the Fluffy cat: when love is blind, red and hairy
– A woman leaves the dog in the car and goes to the swimming pool, the animal dies from the heat
– “Another cat? No!”. But it was Brigitta (and Tommino too)
– Virgola and Roger, the story of a meeting between two dogs
– That kind gesture of the policeman protecting the dog stuck in the sun
– Jack, the cat conqueror of hearts
– “Thanks to my dog I won two million dollars in the lottery”
– In Rome, the stop of the barrels was extended during the hottest hours to protect the horses
– Jack, the cat conqueror of hearts
– Animals are not a beach toy, we teach the little ones how to respect them even on vacation
– The story of Leone, the puppy dog abandoned in a dumpster with a malformed paw
– Five cats rescued from a house of horrors in Catania
Unlimited access to all site content
€ 1 / month for 3 months, then € 3.99 / month for 3 months
Unlock unlimited access to all content on the site
#Invasion #giant #snails #Florida #entire #city #quarantined