Florida experiences Giant Snail infestation

Giant African land snails are causing problems for residents in South Florida.

These snails have been found to be particularly destructive and invasive where they feed on an extensive range of plant materials. They have also been known to eat building material such as plaster walls, which provides the calcium content they need for their shells.

To look into solving the problem, science experts have met in Gainesville to seek the best way of eradicating the snails. One method that has been suggested it to bring in specially trained Labrador dogs to sniff them out.

Denise Feiber, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said that more than 1,000 of the snails are being caught each week in Miami-Dade County and 117,000 in total since the first snail was spotted by a homeowner in September 2011.

Residents could soon begin encountering them more often, crunching them underfoot as the snails emerge from underground hibernation at the start of the state's rainy seasons, Ms Feiber told the Reuters news agency.

She added that the snails attack "pretty much anything that's in their path and green".

In some Caribbean countries, such as Barbados, which are overrun with the creatures, the snails' shells blow out car tyres and turn into projectiles when they encounter lawnmower blades.

In addition, their slime and excrement coat walls and pavement.

For information on keeping snails as pets, refer to: Pet Snails