If you have one, there is hardly anything as sacred as your own garden. But now an introduced species could become a pest for all friends of floral beauties. The intruder’s first warning lights up pink…
It’s actually very popular with aquarium owners because of its bright colors and tendency to eat algae – but you don’t want the apple snails (zoological name Pomacea), which actually come from South and Central America, in your own garden.
Small snails with a big appetite
Thanks to climate change, snails are increasingly feeling at home in our latitudes. With devastating consequences. The hungry animals, which can live in both water and wet land areas, can sometimes destroy entire crops. They are not picky when it comes to choosing their food; virtually every plant genus that prefers water is on their menu.
The EU has actually banned the import and breeding of apple snails in 2023, but when pond and aquarium plants are imported, the animals often come to us as stowaways. In addition to their large appetites, they also pose a danger to native species because they can take over their habitat and displace animals that are already at risk.
If you see it, contact the crop protection department
The German Julius Kühn Institute therefore classifies the Pomacea as a potential danger to local ecosystems and advises to alert the plant protection service if you see one. In Austria, each federal state has its own department of the official AGES plant protection service.
With approximately 175 different species, apple snails are adaptable survivors. They have the remarkable ability to breathe both water and air.
Eggs glow pink
The animals themselves are often not as easy to discover as their eggs. The bright pink links stick to plant stems, stones or tree trunks. Of course, they must also be removed to prevent spread.
To avoid confusing apple snails with the very similar freshwater snails (Viviparus spp.), which are native to Europe, finds of Pomacea species are examined using molecular biological methods.
Not suitable for consumption
By the way, anyone who thinks that snails could possibly be eaten as a delicacy should know that the animals very often carry parasitic worms, such as rat lungworm. These can cause meningitis, among other things. We therefore advise against using apple snails for culinary purposes.
Source: Krone
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