The giant African snail is back in Florida, and this invasive pest can cause more trouble than its slow pace suggests. It feeds on garden plants, crops, tree bark, and landscape material. It may also scrape stucco, paint, or plaster to get the calcium needed to build its shell.
Florida has already eradicated this snail twice. New populations were later confirmed in Pasco, Lee, and Broward counties. State crews now inspect properties, treat affected sites, and limit the movement of plants, soil, and debris inside quarantine areas.
For Florida homeowners, the main concerns are plant damage, hidden eggs, property damage, and the possible health risk linked to rat lungworm. A suspected giant African land snail should not be treated like a common garden snail. It should be photographed and reported to state agriculture officials.
Florida’s first known giant African snail infestation was detected in the Miami area in 1969. Crews removed more than 17,000 snails before the state declared the population eradicated in 1975.
A second infestation appeared in Miami-Dade County in 2011. That response lasted about ten years and involved property inspections, treatments, trapping, and long-term monitoring. Officials declared the population eradicated in 2021.
The next detection came much sooner. A giant African land snail was confirmed near New Port Richey in Pasco County in June 2022. Another population was found in Fort Myers in December 2022. A public report led to the confirmation of giant African snails in Miramar in June 2023.
| Florida Detection | Location | Official Response |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Miami area | More than 17,000 snails were removed. Eradication was declared in 1975. |
| 2011 | Miami-Dade County | A second eradication program continued until 2021. |
| June 2022 | New Port Richey, Pasco County | Inspection, treatment, and quarantine work began. |
| December 2022 | Fort Myers, Lee County | State surveys led to a quarantine in March 2023. |
| June 2023 | Miramar, Broward County | A resident report led to confirmation and treatment work. |
These snails do not need to travel far on their own to reach a new neighborhood. People may carry them in potted plants, soil, compost, yard waste, construction debris, or dirty outdoor equipment. Eggs and young snails are much harder to spot than adults.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services lists current quarantine information, county updates, and reporting instructions. Quarantine boundaries can change as new properties are inspected.
A county listed by the state is not automatically under quarantine from border to border. Officials create regulated zones around confirmed detections and nearby properties. Inside those boundaries, residents and contractors may face limits on moving plants, plant parts, soil, compost, yard waste, snails, and certain building materials.
These rules exist because eggs and young snails can travel in material that looks clean. A plant pot may have no visible adult snail while eggs remain below the soil line. Landscapers, nurseries, contractors, waste haulers, and homeowners should check the current quarantine map before transporting material from an affected location.
A giant African snail has a long, cone-shaped shell with several visible whorls. The shell usually has brown, tan, or cream bands running along its length. Body color varies. Some Florida populations have dark bodies, while others have pale bodies.
Most adults measure about 3 to 4 inches long. Large specimens can reach about 8 inches. That size gets attention, but shell shape is just as important during identification.
Florida has several large snails. Apple snails, for example, have a rounder shell and are usually found near water. Smaller garden snails may also have stripes, but they do not have the same long shell profile.
The snail may stay hidden during the hottest part of the day. It often rests under pots, boards, landscape timbers, thick plants, outdoor equipment, and piles of debris.
Activity tends to increase after rain and during humid evenings. A flashlight inspection can reveal snails that are easy to miss during daylight.
You may also notice wide slime trails, damaged seedlings, ragged leaves, chewed produce, or rough patches near the bottom of a stucco wall.
| Identification Feature | Giant African Snail | Common Garden Snails |
|---|---|---|
| Adult size | Usually 3 to 4 inches, sometimes larger | Most are much smaller |
| Shell shape | Long and cone-shaped | Often rounder or flatter |
| Shell pattern | Brown, tan, or cream lengthwise bands | Varies by species |
| Hiding areas | Soil, pots, boards, vegetation, and debris | Similar damp areas |
| Correct response | Photograph and report the snail | Identify the species before choosing control steps |
Do not pick up a suspected snail to inspect the shell. Take clear photos from several angles and include an object nearby for scale.
The claim that a giant African snail eats stucco sounds exaggerated, but the behavior is real.
These snails need calcium to build and repair their shells. Plants provide some calcium, though they may seek other sources when their diet falls short. Stucco, plaster, paint, limestone-based concrete, animal bones, and empty shells can all supply minerals.
The snail uses a rough feeding structure inside its mouth to scrape material from a surface. Repeated feeding may leave rough spots, shallow grooves, or worn patches near the bottom of an exterior wall.
Stucco damage is more likely in shaded, damp locations beside thick vegetation. Those spots give the snail shelter, moisture, and easy access to both plants and building material.
A single snail is unlikely to create major structural damage. The larger concern is repeated surface feeding by an established population. On many properties, plant damage will be more extensive than damage to the home.
Giant African snails have one of the broadest diets among invasive land snails. They feed on more than 500 types of crops and ornamental plants. Common food sources include beans, peas, peanuts, cucumbers, melons, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, flowers, tree bark, and decaying plant material. They may also feed on fallen fruit and tender new growth.
| Verified Fact | Reported Information | Why It Matters in Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Plant range | More than 500 crop and ornamental plant types | Gardens, farms, nurseries, and natural areas may be affected. |
| Common adult size | About 3 to 4 inches | Adults are larger than most land snails found around homes. |
| Maximum reported size | About 8 inches | Large adults may be close to the length of a person’s hand. |
| Egg production | Hundreds of eggs may be laid in one clutch | A small infestation can grow before homeowners see many adults. |
| Egg-laying frequency | Additional clutches may be produced every few months | Long-term inspections are often needed. |
| Calcium sources | Stucco, paint, plaster, concrete, bones, and shells | Feeding is not limited to plants. |
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service identifies the species as one of the world’s most damaging land snails because of its diet, size, and ability to spread through transported material.
Young plants face the most immediate risk. One night of feeding can remove a large share of a seedling. Larger populations may strip foliage, scar produce, weaken ornamentals, and damage nursery stock.
Florida’s climate makes those problems harder to control. Warm weather, regular rain, irrigation, dense landscaping, and shaded planting beds create the damp conditions these snails prefer.
Giant African snails have both male and female reproductive organs. After mating, each snail may lay eggs in soil or another protected location.
A clutch may contain hundreds of eggs. Under favorable conditions, more clutches can follow during the year. Not every egg survives, but the numbers are still large enough to support fast population growth.
The eggs are part of what makes giant African snail control difficult. They can remain hidden in the soil of a potted plant, beneath debris, or inside a shaded garden bed. Young snails are also small enough to escape notice.
A homeowner may remove one or two adults and assume the problem is over. That does not address eggs, juveniles, or nearby hiding areas.
Moving a snail to another part of the yard can also spread the problem. The same applies to moving plants, soil, compost, or debris from a giant African snail quarantine area.
State response crews use inspections, repeat treatments, and monitoring because no single visit can confirm that every life stage is gone.
Giant African snails can carry rat lungworm, a parasite associated with rats, snails, and slugs. People are usually infected after swallowing an infected snail or slug. Infection may also occur when raw produce contains a small snail, slug, or contaminated material.
Possible symptoms include headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, tingling, and painful skin sensations. Some infections can affect the brain and spinal cord. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rat lungworm guide advises people to wash produce and avoid eating raw or undercooked snails and slugs.
Finding a giant African snail does not mean the animal carries the parasite. Bare-hand contact is also not the usual route of infection. Florida officials still advise residents not to handle suspected snails without gloves.
Keep children and pets away from the snail and the immediate area. Wash your hands after working with soil or garden debris, even when no snail is visible.
Leave the snail where you found it. Do not crush it, carry it indoors, or move it to another part of the yard.
Take clear photos of the shell and body from more than one angle. Include something nearby that shows the snail’s size. Record the exact address or location, along with the date and time.
Keep children and pets away. Avoid moving nearby soil, plants, pots, compost, debris, or construction material until state officials provide instructions.
Send the photos and location to DPIHelpline@FDACS.gov or call 1-888-397-1517. FDACS can review the report and decide whether a property inspection is needed.
Check shaded, damp areas after rain. Pay close attention to plant pots, boards, thick ground cover, outdoor storage, and stucco walls near the soil. Wash produce before eating it, and never move plants or soil from a regulated area without checking the current rules.
Suspected giant African snails should be reported to FDACS because they are regulated invasive pests. For other pest activity around your home or business, contact Native Pest Management to schedule an inspection. We can identify common Florida pest conditions and recommend the right next step.
