Giant Snails Threaten Mowing Equipment

Eight-inch long African land snails (lissachatina fulica) have invaded Miami, Florida. The snails carry a non-lethal but still sickening human meningitis strain in their mucus, and may damage mowers and other landscape equipment that runs over them.

Efforts to eradicate the snails have included drowning them in alcohol and freezing them.  Federal and state authorities have rounded up more than 35,000 of the snails since this new invasion began last September.

Nine years ago, south Florida confronted its first African land snail assault.  It took nine months and more than $1 million to eradicate the creatures. Now, unfortunately, they’re back.