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Giant Snails Infest Local Lake

Big Snails Destructive, Reproducing And Moving

LAKE BRANTLEY, Fla. --

 

It may sound like science fiction but it's true -- snails the size of a fist are causing big problems for state officials.

 

They fear the channeled apple snails from South America are spreading in Central Florida, and the damage they can do to area lakes is serious, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.

 

In Lake Brantley, tens of thousands of the snails have made themselves at home. The snails are destructive, quickly reproducing, and on the move.

 

"Maybe somebody had it in their aquarium and released it, maybe they came in on some aquatic plants," said Dana Denson with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

 

He said they are not even concerned with how they got into Lake Brantley anymore because there are bigger problems. "We did some experimenting and they just consumed every type of aquatic plant we gave them -- very quickly."

 

He said this could quickly set up a disastrous chain of events. Aquatic plants absorb fertilizer run-off so if the plants are gone, the algae will use the run-off. This leads to algae bloom on the lake, and in turn, algae blooms lead to murky water, which possibly can kill the fish.

 

Denson said there are indications that the snails are leaving the lake and heading toward the Wekiva River.

 

The huge snails have few predators. Denson said the good news is that residents can pitch in. If you see the big snails, crush them. If that's not your style, put them in a plastic bag, freeze them, and then place the bag in the garbage.

 

He said residents can also destroy the snails' hot pink eggs on docks and sea walls. Females lay many large clusters of up to 1,000 pink eggs, especially during the warm months. However, do not scrape off the whitish or lighter pink eggs -- those are the native apple snails, which are smaller and not a threat.

 

As for the big snails? "We won't get rid of them, but we can control them and protect the water quality of Lake Brantley," said Gloria Eby, a Seminole County biologist.

 

The large snails are edible if fully cooked, but because of a parasite in them, officials said consumption is probably not a good idea.

 

Seminole County is planning an event in September when residents can go out to Lake Brantley and go on the offensive against the snails.

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