Giant African Snails Invade Miami Florida
EmailWorkers from Florida’s Department of Agriculture are fighting a slimy and dangerous enemy: giant African land snails that have invaded a residential area in Miami-Dade County.
“We have collected over a thousand so far and we have only just begun,” said Denise Feiber, Public Information Director for Florida’s Division of Plant Industry.
Florida Department of Agriculture/Division of Plant Industry
Investigators aren’t sure when or how the invaders slithered into town, but they are on a mission to eradicate the snails as fast as possible. Giant African land snails can grow to be as long as 8 inches and consume at least 500 different types of plants. They also destroy stucco and plaster.
“They leave excrement all over the sides of houses. They’re very nasty,” Feiber said. “These things are not the cute little snails that you see.”
They also pose a health risk by carrying a parasite that can cause meningitis in humans.
Officials realized they had a problem on their hands last week when two sisters flagged down a fruit fly inspector performing a routine check.
“A homeowner came out and said, I found these snails in my yard and she had one of them. He recognized it as potentially being a giant African land snail,” Feiber said.
Officials have been focusing on the one square mile area around the home in southwest Miami. They are only 30 to 40 percent done with their investigation and have already found 1,100 snails.
“We have gone back to some of these positive properties and cleaned up every one of these snails we have seen,” Feiber said. “We come back a few days later and we’re collecting more and more.”
The snails contain both male and female reproductive organs and typically lay 1,200 eggs a year.
Suzanne Howland lives in the affected area and told ABC Affiliate WPLG that the snails multiply “faster than rabbits.”
“It’s amazing, there were literally hundreds in my yard,” she told WPLG. “I saw them within a month and a half just take over my yard.”
Feiber said that they are investigating if the snails could have come from a smuggling incident that’s been under investigation since 2010.
In 2010, officials began investigating Charles Stewart, a man who practices the African religion Ifa Orisha, the Miami Herald reported. Stewart was accused of using the snails in his rituals and investigators claim an African woman brought them to him by sneaking the snails under her dresses on flights to Miami, the Miami Herald reported.
Floridians also battled the slimy mollusks in the late 1960s. A boy smuggled three snails on a flight and raised them as a pet. His grandmother grew tired of them and released them into her garden, Feber said.
“It took the state 10 years to eradicate and it was a million dollar eradication program and that was in the late 1960s, early 1970s,” Feiber said. “Eighteen thousand snails were collected.”
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Yuck…
Posted by: mijoje1 | September 16, 2011, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
Given the time and expense to deal with this problem, it should be investigated as a criminal act and the perpetrators charged.
Posted by: Jim | September 16, 2011, 12:15 pm 12:15 pm
How do they rate on the culinary scale (escargots)?
Posted by: Aaron Ververs | September 16, 2011, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Can’t you just sprinkle salt on them?
Posted by: Lisa S. | September 16, 2011, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
Why does the person holding the snail have only 3 fingers…
Posted by: JT | September 16, 2011, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
“Investigators aren’t sure when or how the invaders slithered into town…”
The same way every other invasive species does: some idiot brought them here because he thought they would make good pets. Or, like in the case of the Asian Carp that are wreaking havoc in the Mississippi river system and are threatening the Great Lakes as well, they were brought here deliberately to try and solve a problem, but the ‘Law of Unintended Consequences’ kicked in………..
Posted by: Searambler | September 16, 2011, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm
Oh, my God! I thought raw clams and sushi people eat are the real slimy creatures. Look, folks, snails are a real treat in other countries . They taste very delicious—better than a fillet. Some posters saying, “yuck” would pay a fortune for this meat in a restaurant. Once the meat is removed from the shell, it is soaked in an alum—a liquid that cuts the slime instantly. The snail meat becomes tender and hard. After the meat is cooked, stewed and spiced up, folks, what you have is meat that tastes crunchy and, oh, so, heavenly.
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | September 16, 2011, 12:57 pm 12:57 pm
___” Why does the person holding the snail have only 3 fingers…
POSTED BY: JT | SEPTEMBER 16, 2011, 12:54 PM 12:54 PM_____________LOL, the snail bit off the other two.
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | September 16, 2011, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
Oh’ please, stop spreading false information. Snail do not carry parasite causing meningitis. How do explain many people in America having this condition, yet do not eat snails; and some African cultures who consume this meat, yet do not have meningitis.?
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | September 16, 2011, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
As kids in Africa, we used to have fun playing with snails. The horns protruding from their heads are like sensitive “antenna” the creatures use to navigate their way. With the horn, the snail can sense obstacle far away in its path, then veers off to avoid collision. We would place our palms in their paths as they crawl, and watch how the snails continue to make detours. Oh, by the way, we never developed meningitis.
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | September 16, 2011, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
NoFlyZone2: You couldn’t pay me enough to eat snails, so I stand by my “yuck” statement. I’ll admit that your anecdotes regarding snails were interesting, though. What part of Africa did you grow up in?
Posted by: mijoje1 | September 16, 2011, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm
How can something be tender and hard at the same time?
Posted by: Chris | September 16, 2011, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Just give them a beer. They’ll be fine in no time.
Posted by: elysummers | September 16, 2011, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
MIJOJE1, Let me plead the 5th on that question. I am an American now. However, I bet you may have eaten snail meat, and not know about it. They taste great with Bud Light. There are some restaurants here in Los Angeles that have snail meat on the menu, just like most restaurants serve raw oysters, clams, and sushi. So, don’t say, “yuck.”
Posted by: NoFlyZone2 | September 16, 2011, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
There’s a great place here in Houston that has the best snails I’ve EVER had. Save that disgusting butter and cheese covered c r a p for the slimy French. Gimme mine Spanish style is just a little broth and lemon juice. I wonder if cooking the would get rid of the parasite or if they’re even a comparable variety of edible snail. I’d say its worth a gander.
Posted by: so what, who cares | September 16, 2011, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
@NoFlyZone2 – Also, how does something “taste crunchy”?
Posted by: so what, who cares | September 16, 2011, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
@NoFlyZone2: If I have eaten snail and not known it, I’d prefer to keep it that way. I still say “yuck” on snails, but I’d be willing to call a truce if you pass me a Bud Lite.
Posted by: mijoje1 | September 16, 2011, 4:46 pm 4:46 pm
Whoa, major faux pas. I meant Bud Light. I confused that with Miller Lite. Please forgive me.
Posted by: mijoje1 | September 16, 2011, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
I saw one eat a cat
Posted by: stan | September 16, 2011, 5:08 pm 5:08 pm
This is a bogus story. Someone has hacked into ABCNEWS and put this story up. It is totally made up. Does Florida really have a Divison of Plant Industry?
Posted by: buster | September 16, 2011, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
More illegal aliens.
Posted by: cloud | September 16, 2011, 6:45 pm 6:45 pm
@mijoje1 LoL, Eat a cat. That’s funny.
Posted by: Frank | September 16, 2011, 10:53 pm 10:53 pm
The French call snails ‘escargot’ and treat them as something of a delicacy. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten snails per se, but I have eaten conch, which I believe is a cousin to the snail. Conch fritters are awesome. These giant African Land Snails look to be almost as big as a conch! Hopefully they’ll figure out a way to control them, they look voracious and probably don’t have any natural predators of them yet………..
Posted by: Searambler | September 17, 2011, 8:28 am 8:28 am
This is NOT the snail one eats that is known as ‘escargot.’ You may contract a parasite if you eat this type of snail. DO NOT EAT THESE!
Posted by: heretic zero | September 17, 2011, 8:38 am 8:38 am
Send in the French they will get the job done real quick
Posted by: slava | September 18, 2011, 8:55 am 8:55 am
pls can someone ship all the snails found nin miami to me in nigeria,snails is a delicacy here,also very expensive,when boiled,spiced and garnished well its such a crunchy delicious meat.we see them sometimes in gardens especially during wet seasons,i still had one yesterday to eat,wld try and upload a cooked version of bwhat you call yuck
Posted by: dee | September 18, 2011, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
If they are arriving now this invasion must have been in the works for centuries.
Posted by: Albert Einstein | September 18, 2011, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
Another pestilence as mentioned in the Bible in Matthew 24 as a sign of the end times. Jesus is coming soon. Get ready!
Posted by: Karen | September 22, 2011, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
Seriously, are they eatable??
Posted by: Greg | September 22, 2011, 6:07 pm 6:07 pm
EAT THEM!
MEGA ESGARGOT
They will be gone in no time just like bluefin tuna and on our side of the world the increasingly hard to get red snapper!
Posted by: Sunshine | September 22, 2011, 7:38 pm 7:38 pm
The only comment in this thread that makes the slightest sense is that there are idiots bringing in species where they don’t belong. Here’s an idea: Read up on some real science. You do not want these in your yard, however delicious they may or may not be. Every escargot I have eaten has been tiny. And delicious.I don’t want a fried chicken for a snail, thank you. And I really don’t want meningitis.This could have the potential to be disastrous.
Posted by: elle | September 22, 2011, 11:21 pm 11:21 pm
Break out the SALT and melt them lol
Posted by: EscarNO | September 26, 2011, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
I wish Florida luck. These snails are virtually impossible to eradicate and breed at an exponential rate. The state will need to institute a bounty hunter program, alike other countries, where the state will pay the public to collect them. This helps reduce the population over time.
Posted by: Marco | September 30, 2011, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
Hi, I want to subscribe for this blog to take latest updates, so where can i do it please help.
Posted by: Madalene Alimento | November 25, 2011, 2:37 am 2:37 am
Africans invade and destroy everything
Posted by: Antwon Blackman | February 9, 2012, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
Millions for clean up? Isn’t Miami a tourist destination. Just bring in a busload of hungry French tourists, some garlic and butter sauce, and the problem will resolve itself.
Posted by: Dan | February 9, 2012, 4:47 pm 4:47 pm
what they taste like?
Posted by: beau | February 9, 2012, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
Re: Albert Einstein he better show up before Dec 21st !
Re : NoFlyZone2 as kids you played with what ?
Posted by: captainG | February 9, 2012, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
Just another eco attack on the USA that nobody is paying attention to. Between the zebra muscles, various crop and tree destroying beetles and other insects from China and the Asian Boa Constrictor that is killing off natural wildlife in the Everglades that nobody is paying attention to it will be too late. I believe it is beiing done on purpose. But what do I know?
Posted by: Horse Banana | February 9, 2012, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
If these are the same snails, I used to see them all the time when I was a kid living in Navy housing near Pearl Harbor. I haven’t seen them in a while, though. I remember carrying them around by their shells, taking them for walks around the neighborhood. I won’t swear to it, but I seem to remember being told they were poisonous.
Posted by: Emika_B | February 9, 2012, 6:07 pm 6:07 pm
Call the Starship Troopers.
Posted by: khatman | February 9, 2012, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
@NoFlyzone You don’t pay attention very well do you? You can get meningitis from eating raw or undercooked Giant African Snails. Snails do carry many parasites and one of these parasites is fatal and the only thing that can be done once it’s ingested is to make the host comfortable in their last hours of life. You have the Super Information Highway at your fingertips, so why don’t you use it before making such uninformed posts.
Posted by: sonny_chiba | February 9, 2012, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
is there anything that hasn’t invaded Florida?…maybe the pythons will eat them
Posted by: Mike | February 9, 2012, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm
Eat em, i mean if you cook em enough, they would be good right?
Posted by: Chris D. | February 9, 2012, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
Garlic, butter, and high temperture should take care of those guys.
Posted by: Bruce Ramsey | February 9, 2012, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
No way! I am from Nigeria. And We enjoy snails in our soup. It is a meat we crave for. I cant even get big ones here. I only get the small one. I wish I can get those big ones here. Ah! I will make a very delicious Okro and spinach soup with them, and lick my five digits. I have been eatng snails for 26 years of my life and It has not caused me any illness. I am very strong and healthy.
Posted by: Blessing | February 9, 2012, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm
“This is our Revenge for the Death of our God Bin Laden”
The Pakistan Army
Posted by: thaddeus buttmunch md | February 9, 2012, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
We’ll start a company called Snail-Fil-A, with shirts that read “Eat Mor Snail!” and serve big escargots. Gourmets, gourmands, gluttons? Come one, come all…
Posted by: D-NO | February 9, 2012, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
This is the most tasty meat in some parts of the world especially africa,and no one has been sick from eating it.So no uncalled noise shud be made about it,they come out during wet seasons so its not a surprise to see them surface anywhere.
Posted by: joy | February 9, 2012, 10:02 pm 10:02 pm
Nothing that can’t be corrected with salt or the French…
Posted by: p | February 9, 2012, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm
These snails cause meningitis? Really. I think this story is so alarmist. I live in an African country and we have gotten so used to seeing these snails especially during the wet season. If they really did cause meningitis, our whole family would have been wiped out by now. Unless you tell me that eating the snails is what causes meningitis, then I will understand the concerns being raised, since I don’t snails anyway. However, whenever I find a snail in my yard I just pour salt over it and that’s it. Stop being so namby pamby people!
Posted by: Linda | February 10, 2012, 1:03 am 1:03 am
I love African Snails!!!!
Posted by: Mango | February 10, 2012, 8:40 am 8:40 am
These huge snails would for some great escargot! Meanwhile, just spray the town with beer – should help!
Posted by: Elle | February 10, 2012, 11:18 am 11:18 am
DELICACY! DELICACY!! DELICACY!!!
YOU GUYS DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE MISSING…..LOL
BEST WITH EFO-RIRO….TRUST MOI
Posted by: 9jaBoi | February 10, 2012, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
Send them to France they will eat them Escargot.
Posted by: Casandra | February 10, 2012, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
This is unbelievable,but in my country this is a multi million dollar industry.They are a culinary treat and why do you waste millions to eradicate them,when there are more than thousands of willing consumers around.We smoke them,fry them,skewer them with spices for khebabs and name it.Just get in touch with myself and my gang and within a week those “”slimy”" giants will be on the list of extict organisms.
Posted by: kwasi | February 10, 2012, 5:21 pm 5:21 pm
Well another instrusive situation humans have on affecting this earth. These snails are the innocent party. WHEN ARE HUMANS GOING TO LEARN TO LIVE IN BALANCE AND NOT DESTROY THE EARTH AND CREATE DISASTOR ON OUR NATURE AND ANIMALS. I AM FED UP WITH HUMANITY AND WHAT WE NEED IS SPIRITUAL INERVENTION ONCE AND FOR ALL . NOT ORGANIZED RELIGION BUT THE AFFECTS OF GOD ON THIS PLANET SO ORDER CAN BE PUT BACK IN PLACE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Posted by: Florence Assalit | February 28, 2012, 11:44 pm 11:44 pm
I agree with Florence–these creatures should be returned to their native habitat rather than destroyed. It’s not the snails’ fault they ended up in Fla–it’s the fault of bad HUMAN judgment and likely disrespect for nature. Galileo upset the old order by demonstrating Earth is not the center of the solar system–now, it seems, people need to realize they aren’t the center of nature……. I don’t think we should take any life form for granted. It wasn’t too long ago that the near-extinction of North American buffalo was inconceivable. It didn’t take long for that to change…….. We may not like a certain creature, but our fate is still linked to theirs. Disturb one strand of a spider’s web and you disturb the whole web.
Posted by: Rick Panna | February 29, 2012, 12:15 am 12:15 am