KOCHI: The eradication of Giant African Snails should be completed before summer as they would go into hibernation by the time, an expert report has said.
Once they hibernate, they cannot be lured out with baits, said a report by T.V. Sajeev, an entomologist of the Forest Health Division of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. The report was submitted to the Ombudsman for local self-government institutions. The institute was asked to study the infestation of the snail in Kerala, particularly in Konni.
The mollusc can go to summer sleep up to three years during extreme drought, sealing itself into its shell secretion of a cal carious compound that dries on contact with air.
The practice of using metaldehyde, a pesticide, and common salt to kill the snail will leave adverse impact on terrestrial and aquatic fauna. Excessive use of common salt alters the soil chemistry making it unfit for agriculture, the report said.
Snails should not be consumed as it is an intermediate vector of the rat lungworm which causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. It also plays host to aeromonas hydrophila, a pathogen found in hosts with weak immune system.
Vehicles moving out from the area should be thoroughly checked for making sure that it is not accidentally transported to new locations. The snails collected using protective gloves can be destroyed using tobacco decoction and copper sulphate mixture. Baits can be set in the evenings using cabbage leaves, it was suggested.
The mollusc, Achatina Fulica Bowtich, is a native of coastal East Africa. It is an invasive species which has escaped from its naturally distributed area and invaded many parts of the world.
The Global Invasive Species Database managed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature has ranked it second in the list of world's 100 worst invaders.
Even though the creatures thrive in humid and warm conditions, they are highly adaptable to dry and cooler climates. They hibernate 10 to 15 cm deep in soft soil during less favourable conditions for up to one year, the report said.
The snails might have reached Kerala in the 1970s. Its presence was first reported from Palakkad. At present, most of the districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod, have at least one location with snail infestation, it was reported.
The infestation in Konni is quite high requiring urgent efforts to reduce its population. The wells in the area are contaminated by the snail excreta. Vomiting tendency, giddiness and irritation were reported by the people who handled the snail. Its empty shells have become breeding sites of mosquitoes too, it was reported.
Source: The Hindu, 9-11-2010
Once they hibernate, they cannot be lured out with baits, said a report by T.V. Sajeev, an entomologist of the Forest Health Division of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi. The report was submitted to the Ombudsman for local self-government institutions. The institute was asked to study the infestation of the snail in Kerala, particularly in Konni.
The mollusc can go to summer sleep up to three years during extreme drought, sealing itself into its shell secretion of a cal carious compound that dries on contact with air.
The practice of using metaldehyde, a pesticide, and common salt to kill the snail will leave adverse impact on terrestrial and aquatic fauna. Excessive use of common salt alters the soil chemistry making it unfit for agriculture, the report said.
Snails should not be consumed as it is an intermediate vector of the rat lungworm which causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. It also plays host to aeromonas hydrophila, a pathogen found in hosts with weak immune system.
Vehicles moving out from the area should be thoroughly checked for making sure that it is not accidentally transported to new locations. The snails collected using protective gloves can be destroyed using tobacco decoction and copper sulphate mixture. Baits can be set in the evenings using cabbage leaves, it was suggested.
The mollusc, Achatina Fulica Bowtich, is a native of coastal East Africa. It is an invasive species which has escaped from its naturally distributed area and invaded many parts of the world.
The Global Invasive Species Database managed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature has ranked it second in the list of world's 100 worst invaders.
Even though the creatures thrive in humid and warm conditions, they are highly adaptable to dry and cooler climates. They hibernate 10 to 15 cm deep in soft soil during less favourable conditions for up to one year, the report said.
The snails might have reached Kerala in the 1970s. Its presence was first reported from Palakkad. At present, most of the districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod, have at least one location with snail infestation, it was reported.
The infestation in Konni is quite high requiring urgent efforts to reduce its population. The wells in the area are contaminated by the snail excreta. Vomiting tendency, giddiness and irritation were reported by the people who handled the snail. Its empty shells have become breeding sites of mosquitoes too, it was reported.
Source: The Hindu, 9-11-2010
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