As reported on the ISW Twitter feed several weeks ago, the island apple snail (Pomacea insularum) was discovered in the state of South Carolina last May, the furthest north the mollusk has been found in the USA. Now Myrtle Beach Online has an update on how officials are dealing with the snails, in order to prevent their spread from the ponds they've been inhabiting. So far management efforts have included treating the ponds with copper sulfate to kill the snails, with additional applications planned if more eggs are found.
One interesting tidbit from the article: The snails were originally discovered by a 9-year-old! It was only when her mom casually mentioned the snails during a call to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources about what fish she could stock in the pond that the DNR realized there might be a problem.
P.S. - Don't miss the photo gallery that accompanies the article!
No comments:
Post a Comment