Apple Snail reporting to WLF

[Kraut]

So in my random travels on shift today, I noticed tons of apple snail egg sacs on grasses in and around a portion of the retention pond/drainage area surrounding a local business property, and not commonly seeing them at locations close in the city limits, I looked up on the LA WLF site to see if there was a reporting line/site. Sure enough, they have a graphic of a brochure about them which has contact number and e-mail for an Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator, with a heading stating "For more information or to report a possible apple snail, contact," the hotline number even stating available 24 hours a day. I snapped a pic and attached it to an e-mail which included the location/address, and sent it off. Shortly after, I received a reply stating that WLF has no treatment program, and recommended hand removal of the snails or egg sacs. All this to get to what has me pondering, why the hell do they have a reporting hotline if they don't do a damn thing with the information? I already knew that it's recommended to knock the egg sacs into the water, but I figured that if they're advertising "report here," that there might be something a bit better than "good luck" as a response. Some chemical treatments can be used, apparently, but I guess they leave that up to someone else to figure out.

 

[Manimal]

Government loves to create jobs and perpetuate problems. Hogs are used as an economic boost for LA WLF, not trying to solve the problem, just as an example. They make it expensive and risky to farm Tilapia, for another example, but they have a licensing process that never gets used.

They love desk jobs, and are not fans of people on the ground.

I guarantee that you have to have some license to remove them from public land, and if you did it as a commercial or nonprofit service...there may be an issue, they'd need a piece of that too....

 

[Bigchillin83]

They always tell us to just knock the eggs in the water off the trees that kills the eggs

 

[Abby Normal]

“So in my random travels on shift today, I noticed tons of apple snail egg sacs “
In my daily travels, on Hwy 90 & Hwy1 they are All Over! I’d like to pull over & knock them in the water but that in itself would be a full time job. Most people don’t seam to care. They are probably here to stay unless some CoonA$$ comes up with a recipe for Cajun Escargot.

 

[La26]

Not sure how many natural predators the apple snail has, but I have heard there are very few. Where I work, we are surrounded by water (canals/ditches), and the raccoons eat the heck out of them. There are lots of piles of empty snail shells on the edge of the water where the raccoons bring them to eat the snail. We have on occasion seen several raccoons (not at the same time) eating the snails at the water's edge.

 

[thperez1972]

When I first read the title, I wondered how an Apple Snail could possibly snitch to WLF.

 

[Gator 45/70]

We shoot the snail, Warning, Don't stand to close or you will get egg-splattered!

 

[Kraut]

Not sure how many natural predators the apple snail has, but I have heard there are very few. Where I work, we are surrounded by water (canals/ditches), and the raccoons eat the heck out of them. There are lots of piles of empty snail shells on the edge of the water where the raccoons bring them to eat the snail. We have on occasion seen several raccoons (not at the same time) eating the snails at the water's edge.

Apparently, racoons, otters, and alligators will eat them, but not in significant enough quantity to prevent or contain their rapid spread. A small number of mating pairs of Limpkins, a type of wading bird with most of it's range in Florida, had been spotted in Louisiana in 2021, and they supposedly have a voracious appetite for apple snails. Don't know if that population has grown since then, but I'm sure it still wouldn't be enough. They're all over Honey Island Swamp.

 

[falshooter]

Nobody mentioned this so I will. Don't touch the eggs with bare skin , they contain a neurotoxin . .....AND....some people do eat them. If you do eat them, they contain the rat worm larva that can be fatal . They have to be cleaned properly ,and again don't have exposed skin contact while cleaning.

Alert in Louisiana: Toxic Pink Apple Snail Eggs Pose Risks and Invade Local Waters | Porch & Parish

Louisiana's waters are under siege by toxic, bright pink apple snail eggs, an invasive species that's harmful to touch and challenging to manage, according to the latest guidance from the LSU AgCenter.

www.porchandparish.com

Plenty of articles on the internet

And if that ain't enough, look out for these invasive worms...

https://www.brproud.com/news/dont-touch-it-eat-it-or-chop-it-hammerhead-worms-are-here-and-can-hurt-you-and-your-pets/

 

[Manimal]

The snails are actually edible and taste very good, genuine escargot and they are actually farmed in some places for this purpose. A new bird has arrived in La from Florida, that feeds on the snails, and they have become seemingly permanent residents (forgot the name, will see if I remember later, it's a wading swamp bird).

They are edible problems like most of our problems, and they'd turn our fat people into fit people if they took time to harvest and ete that instead of Doritoes, but it's hard to compete with consumer commercials, Hollyweird, and the news.

 

[John_]

Sorry I don't eat snails. Louisiana oysters yes, snails no. From google:

Yes, apple snails are edible, but they must be cooked thoroughly and cleaned properly to avoid foodborne illnesses:

• Cook thoroughly: Never eat apple snails raw or undercooked.
• Clean properly: Remove all intestinal material from the snail.
• Kill parasites: Cooking probably kills parasites, but you should avoid handling the snails while they are still alive. Apple snails can carry parasites that cause rat lungworm, intestinal fluke, and swimmer's itch.

Apple snails are a freshwater snail that are a protein-rich delicacy in many Asian countries. However, they are also an invasive species in some places, such as Louisiana, where they can damage crops and alter aquatic ecosystems.

 

[XD-GEM]

I don't have an Apple watch and I'm not going to eat an Apple Snail.

Now, maybe if there was an Android version.....