After the mealy bug, here comes another Dracula...the Giant African snail..Kudos to the young ones whose observation threw light on a potential invader of our green umbrellas.
Achatina fulica (Bowditch)
East African land snail, or giant African land snail, is a species of large, air-breathing land snail.
Known as one of the worst invasive species in the world.
Shell colouration is highly variable.
It is a herbivore, eats a wide range of plant material, fruit and vegetables including sand and concrete (as calcium sources for its shell).
The snail is a nocturnal feeder, but may remain active during the day. In dry weather, it burrows into the ground or crawls under shelter where it can remain for several weeks or months.
The Giant African Snail can be baited with metaldehyde.
The chemical is poisonous to the snail if it eats the bait; and also if it comes into contact with the snail’s foot, causing the snail to dehydrate.
The pellets should be spread evenly on the ground around crops in doses of 2.0-20 grams per square metre, depending on the metaldehyde concentration of the product.
Scattering on non-crop areas is not very effective.
Baits should be checked every few days and renewed as necessary.
No comments:
Post a Comment