Est.2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

African Snail Invasion, The Will To Fight Back

← Back

Your message to the BLOGMASTER was sent

CONTACT THE BLOGMASTER ONLY

Submitted by checkit-out in response to an earlier submission penned by Kammie Holder

African SnailI am bringing up this topic again as I was thinking, while doing my morning chores of removing scores of African snails from my yard, that there might be a  good alternative use of the snails that could save us significant foreign exchange and also control the snails at manageable levels.  The idea (and I don’t know if someone has come up with it before) would be to develop a plant that would process the snails into a protein component for animal feed, after appropriate treatment for ridding them of any parasites.

It could be done, if the figures and feasibility analyses so suggest, on a cottage scale or a larger scale where  the snails would be purchased from householders at a small cost (i.e. less that the Government’s give away that was tried and is failing as an eradication measure).

If the idea was found to be feasible we would be able to coexist with the snails and have an industry that would be somewhat self sustaining. Perhaps someone could check with the Ministry of Agriculture  and or Roberts Manufacturing about the feasibility or otherwise.

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

39 responses to “African Snail Invasion, The Will To Fight Back”

  1. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Mr. Kammie
    This would be the one sure way of getting me not to eat meat ever again. Looking at these snails alone makes me wanna puke. And now you want them made into animal feed? I beginning to feel nauseous. (somebody bring de poe quick, ah wanna pukeeeeeee)

  2. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    @bonny peppa

    Look doan puke, in France it is a delicacy! Dem does call dem escargot (essscargo) de tee is silent. I propose dat they hire de Guyanese to ketch dem. Yuh paying bajans an it aint wukking. So pay de Guyanese and dey will work nite and day and mek a profit too.

    On the serious side, it took an area in Florida 10 years and a million dollars.

    Just recently some African preacher man from Miami, had his flock drinking the slime. Many of them got ill and had to be hospitalized. They told doctors and authorities what they were doing, they went to the preacher man’s house and found a colony of African snails he had smuggled in from a recent trip to Africa . They arrested him and he claimed that he didn’t break any laws.

  3. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Islandgal
    I know escargot very well but they don’t look like dese nasty,slimy, dirty, slimy tings. Some restaurants serve escargots with garlic butter. The escargot is stuffed back into the shell and garlic butter is smeared on top to sorta conceal the ‘snail’.
    yukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, bring de poe again, quickkkkkkkk.

  4. St George's Dragon Avatar
    St George’s Dragon

    One thing is for sure – there is no way that we are going to eradicate the snails, which I believe is still Government policy.
    Its ridiculous to think we can, as they are hermaphodites, so if just one is left, it will reproduce and take over the whole country again.
    I don’t think people actually believe that eradication is possible, thus the lack of respond to the calls for action.
    The only chance of getting rid of them is to find a natural predator / disease that affects them, if there is one. That brings the added complications of what other unintended effects such an imported creature might have. Didn’t they bring in mongooses to kill rats – and didn’t the mongooses then start killing chickens?
    Maybe best to leave as is. Be prepared to live with the snails, I think.

  5. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    I don,t think we can rid the country of the african snails but we should be able to control them. There are too many overgrown residential lots in Barbados, if these lots are kept clean as in Bermuda, we would be able to confine the snail to the gullies. i have been asking for over a year to have an area clear near to my house, the envirolmental dept has been trying to get the owners to comply but to no avail. Firm laws should be made and carried out.

  6. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    I have some friends who are specialists in this general area and who tell me that the current eradication programme is practically doomed to failure as the snail is already established, has a very wide host range, is extremely difficult to control and has an extremely high rate of production of eggs, many of which survive to infest new areas. It is therefore almost certain, since government will be unable to find the huge sums necessary for its eradication and the snail is unlikely to cooperate in its demise, that we will be living with the snail for the forseeable future.

    That being the case, how do we keep its numbers down to a manageable level that will allow farmers to make a profit on their normal crops and reduce the fouling of numerous properties by the exudates of the snail?

    The baits obviously have not worked at the macro level since there is a resevoir of snails and eggs in many adjoining properties and abandoned lots. I do not forsee a situation when that situation will change for the better.

    Picking the snails and selling them to the Ministry is of dubious benefit also since it is not really significantly reducing the resevoir of eggs and adult snails. In addition, the cost of this activity is onerous to government and actually is a waste of scarce finances.

    Picking adult snails and “killing” them with hot water or clorox or some other disinfectant often leaves eggs to survive and mature later.

    I haven’t heard of the use of natural enemies to control the african snail population. I wonder if they exist, but there is a possibility of some natural enemy being found, if an active research programme were set up in that area. At present however, it doesn’t look as if this is an area that is being actively pursued.

    I have been told that once the snail had spread from its original loci the game was lost and the efforts at containment or eradication were doomed to failure.

    If all the above is true then there is no point in throwing good money after bad. Of course some amelioration is possible in individual households and plots if the owners follow a rigorous regimen of destroying the snails they can see on their properties. But what about the adjacent properties? How are we going to ensure that the snails on those properties do not come in to reinfest clean land? How do we enforce any regulations in this matter?

    Someone said above that the african snail was eradicated from an area in florida after 10 years at a cost of 1 million dollars. I have some doubt about those statistics but, in Florida, the snail would have been spotted soon after it arrived and control measures would have started immediately. We are in a position where it was probably already established when we spotted it so subsequent efforts to eradicate it here, although necessary, were always likely to be futile in the long run.

    So, what can we reasonably do about the snail now?
    The animal feed idea will obviously need a lot of refining based on the comments so far. But it should be pointed out that many Bajans eat Shrimp without recognizing that they are also detritus feeders. Also, I suspect that many persons do not know what ingredients go into many animal feeds used at the present time (if not here, overseas ). Ever heard about chicken litter or fish offal?

    Snails, like shrimp, convert the detritus they consume to their own proteins and there is no comparison between the feedstock and the eventual protein consumed by animals to be converted into animal proteins.

    In summary. The african snail is likely to be here for good as efforts to eradicate it are likely to fail. If so, how could the presence of the snail be turned into a positive attribute for Barbados? Is the suggestion of selling the snails to countries where humans consider them a delicacy likely to work? Is there some small possibility that a well thought out project that seeks to utilize the snails for animal feed and thereby keeps the population down to a manageable level might work?

    In all this education and PR would be absolutely essential.

  7. Bosun Avatar
    Bosun

    @Bonny, You are too fickle .Bajan men have been eating all sort of things for years. Just last week a fellow was telling me about his mate who when he visits his mother ,half eat what ever she give him,then he start shacking up with this forner thing,and every time she put food for him, he is like Jack Sprat.Clean the plate and want more.Couldn’t understand why , till one day he came home unexpectedly and found the woman steaming the pork over the pot.

  8. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Snail leave mighty BIG shit…no? So Man from East place sign outside house. No African Snail By Order Of Management… Sign in English, Swahili and Putonghua…! Snail no pass sign … Snail know better than pass sign … no shit …no?

  9. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    There are several reasons why it is highly unlikely that the african snail can be now eradicated from Barbados. There is however a possibility that it can be controlled. One element of that control would be by passing a regulation to one of the relevant Acts that would make it illegal for any landowner or householder to harbour such snails on their property. I.e. a regulation somewhat akin to the one that allows Public Health Inspectors to charge persons for harbouring mosquito larvae on their property.

    As far as the mosquitos are concerned the regulations appear to primarily target the places where the larvae live. i.e. bottles, plant pots or other receptacles with stagnant water, etc., and seek to ensure a level of hygeine and management of the lot that would drastically reduce the likelihood of mosquitos breeding. A superficial look at the situation with the african snail might suggest that similar legislation should be adequate to control that pest. However, it is not as simple as it appears. The african snails in my yard are usually gone by about 7.30 am and appear again about 6.30 pm unless the day is very wet and overcast when they can be seen throughout the day. How do you formulate a law that would necessitate an inspector to be on someone’s premises at the hours (outside of normal working hours) when the snail is likely to be seen for it to have a chance of being effective and fair? How many snails per 2000 square ft should reasonably be allowed on someone’s land before the full weight of the law is brought to bear on him/her in the event of noncompliance? None? If so does the absence of the snail, after the inspector carries out a thorough check at 5.00 am, ensure that some snails or their eggs are’nt hiding in crevices in rocks, cracks in the soil, under leaves, etc.?

    In addition, the biology of the Mosquito and the relationship of its biology to its control methods is different in numerous respects to that of the African snail.

    I think regulations are necessary to effect some measure of control of the african snail, especially for rab land, vacant lots, etc., but they need a lot of thought and research before they are enacted.

  10. David Avatar
    David

    There is a resistance to eating the snails which is rooted in our culture, let us accept this to be the case. From all reports there is a suggestion the Bajan African snail is too small to interest thos who would want to eat them.

    The next bet is to do as checkit suggests i.e. animal feed for domestic or even export.

    Why after so long of the African snail infestation we still appear to be like a deer caught in headlights?

    Former Senator Laurie has been pushing the option for Bajans to eat the snail. He points to the Internet where several recipes can be found to assist in how a snail dish can be prepared.

  11. Pearl Avatar
    Pearl

    Ugh! Hate those snails….make my skin walk. Especially when you put salt on them and they scream like a baby.. Enough to give you nightmares.

    I for one don’t fancy eating them at all. I can remember a few years ago there was a product on the market made from snails that you put on your face to make you look younger etc . http://www.elicinasnailcream.net if the product is still going strong maybe we could export the snails to them or even more adventurous start making the cream ourselves. Could even market it as a tourism product. Barbados the island of youth, over baked in the sun? no longer looking like a twenty year old? wrinkles taking route? Come to Barbados, enjoy our hospitality, our beaches, bath in the warm tranquil waters of the Caribbean sea and experience our special facials to put the youth and glow back in your skin…. I for one will be growing old gracefully with my wrinkles in tact.

    Another thing is that the snail collection could be done as community service. i.e. rather than locking up a Father who has not paid his child support, make them collect the snails. Win win. We get rid of a few more snails and save tax payers money from giving the Father room, food and board at Dodds. After all if he’s in Dodds he still isn’t paying the child support. Other persons doing minor crimes could also be included in the scheme.

  12. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    Pearl; Good ideas!! As I see it you’ve bought into the bottomline of doing something about the snails not just collecting and burning them. The cream or other alternative uses such as using the shells for various kinds of ornaments would provide employment, and perhaps earn or save some foreign exchange. the Animal feed idea is just another one that could have us turning the snails into a positive asset instead of being a noisome nuisance.

    I’d like to hear some other arguments for or against the various options, especially the animal feed one. Seems to me that properly directed and planned utilization of the african snail could be a very productive project for a UWI thesis and further development as a private sector initiative. Are there any other James Husbands around that could take on a project like this and run with it if the studies suggest that it is feasible?

  13. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    heck it out
    Catch the snails. Clean them, dice them and pickle them in onions pepper salt and Bajan seasonings and export them to Africa or wherever folk think they are a delicacy
    You might not eradicate them but you might keep the numbers down and provide viable and sustainable employment for snail catchers and pickers etc

  14. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    Georgie Porgie; Thanks for the comment. It is a refinement of Kammie’s original idea and has some merit. The main thing though, imho, is that we should quickly evaluate all the possibilities and come up with a mix of ways to exploit the snail rather than picking and burning them.

    Kammie; any other ideas?

  15. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Pearl
    I gun die wid my wrinkles first befoe I use anyting from dem snails. I hate to see dem farless. A fella was mekking ornaments n someting else from dem but he like he stop. maybe he cunn get na customers. de look a dem tings alone would mek me puke farless to eat. yukkkkkkkkkkkkkk.
    YOu gun doubt me now Pearl but this is a true ‘story’. I put ’bout a poun a salt pun one a morning and he holla:
    Jesusssssss Croisssssssssssssss, Bonny, ya unfairing mahhhhhh.
    I drop de salt jar n tek off. I in stop runnin yet. LOLLLL

    But seriously, I doan want nutton to do wid dem.

    Bosun
    To dis day I does still steam my pork so.
    ya demon. ga long.

  16. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Check it out

    But wait, de same fella dat was mekking de ornaments n chimes wid dem snails, say dat de juice/slime went pun he foot one day n singe he foot like acid. so how ya gun eat dem if dem got in dis poisonous substance?

  17. Green Monkey Avatar
    Green Monkey

    But wait, de same fella dat was mekking de ornaments n chimes wid dem snails, say dat de juice/slime went pun he foot one day n singe he foot like acid. so how ya gun eat dem if dem got in dis poisonous substance?

    But dah is good, it mean dem does come wid hot sauce included. Yuh ain’ got to sprinkle on any hot sauce outah uh bottle before yuh does eat um.

  18. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Green Monkey
    please be kind ta a sista in distress. doan hurt ma feelins so nah. hearing ’bout dem does hurt my belly, fa tru.(oh lawdddddd, sumbody bring de poe agen, ah wanna pukeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee) oh lord ah gun deadddddddddd. (sighhhhhhhh)

    I have a friend that hates millipedes with a passion so much so that if you mention the word in her presence, she starts to ‘kek’ (make vomiting actions) ‘kek’. I now kno how she does feel. I will nevva tease she agen. (lawddddd, ah gettin cold-sweatz).

  19. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Man from East wonder how many citizens would eat slug if man from East found a way to attach shell to back of slug? Kek Kek ..no?

  20. Kammie Avatar
    Kammie

    The antropods Giant African Snail just like Conch from the sea are much leaner and more protein pound for pound than chicken. What is the rationale of the government buying these snails and then burning them? Why are we burning hard cash? Why cannot we export these snails to the Asian and African disapora where they are eaten as delicacies. Where are the black Barbadians who were educated by the government for free? On my recent trip to Ghana I saw snails being sold at US$2.50 and they are scarce. Do see my facebook pictures.

  21. David Avatar
    David

    Here is the link to Kammie’s Facebook page.

    Kammie aren’t the size of our African Snails said to be small compared to those you encountered in Ghana?

  22. Kammie Avatar
    Kammie

    The antropods Giant African Snail just like Conch from the sea are much leaner and more protein pound for pound than chicken. What is the rationale of the government buying these snails and then burning them? Why are we burning hard cash? Why cannot we export these snails to the Asian and African disapora where they are eaten as delicacies. Where are the black Barbadian entrepreneurs who were educated by the government for free? On my recent trip to Ghana I saw snails being sold at US$2.50 and they are scarce. Do see my facebook pictures.

  23. Bonny Peppa Avatar
    Bonny Peppa

    Kammie
    I went to de link at FB to look at dese snails but after seeing you in the first pic feeding de swans, I completely faget wah I was supposed to be looking at. stupseeeeeeeeeeeee. What am I supposed to be looking for now again? I faget.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Interesting to hear Minister Benn report that Guyanese have been the major recipient of the $200,000 dollars paid in bounty for the African Snails since March 2009.

  25. The Scout Avatar
    The Scout

    And they will continue to harvest them but the population keeps growing. i thought then as now that that was a waste of government’s money. It was just one of government’s stimulus plans and bajans are no benefiting from it.

  26. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    Kammie
    You described the snails as “antropods”?

    or are you trying to say that they ARE GASTROPODS? i/e mollusks with stomach and feet? The Stomach-Footed Mollusks, Class Gastropoda, Subclass Prosobranchia?

  27. Ping Pong Avatar
    Ping Pong

    While not being particularly knowledgeable about snails, I notice that the wikipedia entry on the Giant Ghana Snail (Achatina achatina) states that “the closely related Achatina fulica was introduced to Florida in 1966, causing considerable damage to trees and shrubs, and damaging the stucco walls of houses. It was finally eradicated by State authorities after a 10-year program.” Now Achatina fulica is known as the Giant African land snail. I am not sure which species has invaded Barbados but my thinking is that if Florida (a considerably larger land mass than Barbados) could eradicate the snail (or a related species then it should be possible for Barbados to do so as well. It would seem reasonable to first approach the authorities in Florida and learn about their methods which helped to eradicate this pest. Maybe this could be Dr. Estwick’s first target as he seeks to make his mark in the Ministry of Agriculture.

  28. David Avatar
    David

    Here is a document which deals with the Florida infestation.

  29. ac Avatar
    ac

    if dem snails parasite carrying infestation african snail were worth any thing. by now they won’t be none left in babados america would have found real use fuh dem, America not interested . Forget it.

  30. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    We can do it if we have the will to. Can we all come together on a national level? We need some tough love to get this done.

  31. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    Hanesley Benn is echoing what I has said in an earlier post. Employ the Guyanese to do the job!

  32. Ping Pong Avatar
    Ping Pong

    What the dickens?!!!!

    you (David) have the document(re Eradication of the Giant African Snail in Florida) so I suppose our Ministry of Agriculture has it too. Or is this an unreasonable supposition? So what does it take to get the Barbadian authorities to move into action?

    My bad, we just love to talk.

  33. Ping Pong Avatar
    Ping Pong

    I am still in a state of shock. Florida got rid of the snails 38 years ago!!! Here I was thinking that nothing could be done.

    The information is freely available. What does it take to get the Ministry of Agriculture to move into action , a pistol waving minister?

  34. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    Hey guys, looks like the way to get rid of the African snails is to employ yard fowls. I have three around me that got me so cruel with them digging out the soil and going into my compost heap that I nearly got rid of them. However, I found out that they were eating the young snails and even the bigger ones they were picking them out of the shell.

    I had told somebody earlier that there was a time when we had snails and by 1975, it was hard to find a snail or a slug in Barbados. My question to my friend was, what sent snails into virtual extinction?

    At this time, I no longer see snails on my walls on the outside under the eave. I no longer have them in my back yard and as a matter of fact, I have some sweet potatoes growing which have not been attacked by the snails and I have done nothing to prevent it; so pick sense from nonsense. By the way, these three yard fowls servicing about ten household in this area. They run wild and now have help (chicks).

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @ROK

    Can Barbadians living in the Heights and Terraces keep fowls?
    Suspect it will violate the covenants man.

  36. ROK Avatar
    ROK

    Well David, these yardfowls I speaking about have no owner. They prowl the area. They fly in and out of my yard and go all around the houses. No more than birds. Somebody only have to let go a few chickens. They may survive better in the heights because in these areas, some of them disappear from time to time; you know how it is? In the heights, except for the youngsters on vacation that may catch them and roast them, most of those residents would not kill chickens.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @ROK

    You should know better than to expect people in the Heights and Terraces to encourage fowls patrolling the neighbourhood. Dogs and cats are more preferred.

  38. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    David

    You should know better than to expect people in the Heights and Terraces to encourage fowls patrolling the neighbourhood. Dogs and cats are more preferred
    ************************
    I suspect that you live in the “Heights and Terraces” that you are poking fun at. Why should they keep fowls when Kentucky and Super Centre still in business?

    Anyway that is a novel Bajan solution and you don’t even have to import the fowls and when they complete the job they can be consumed – so instead of saying “it taste like chicken” you can say “it taste like escargot”.

  39. Sarah Black Avatar
    Sarah Black

    It seems that these beasties have no predators, mongoose, rats and fowl certainly don’t eat them but I have seen Solidier crabs munching down merrily, but how can we get more of them and save our crops??? I think the government has given up hope and it’s us, the people that have to find a solution. Thinking caps on…………. Does anyone know of any crops these land snails won’t eat???

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

    Trending

    Discover more from Barbados Underground

    Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

    Continue reading