Summary of the case: The brown snail, an unwanted creature that spreads quickly and destroys crops and vegetation, has reached the village of Fresvik in Sogn og Fjordane. The creature came to Norway in 1988 through the importation of plants and has spread to new places in recent years. Experts warn that if you first get a brown snail in the garden, you have a bad time, as one snail can lay 400 eggs in a year. It is difficult to remove the snails completely, as they are hermaphrodites and can start a new population by fertilizing their own eggs. The advice from the experts is to pick and kill the snails, and follow the development. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. In the tiny village of Fresvik, deep in the Sognefjord, they have been free of the brown snail for years. Until no. This summer, Gyda Bøtun discovered the slimy creature that people shun like the plague. – We have heard horror stories from other places, and I am very worried if people do not try to kill them, says Bøtun. The brown snail is undesirable as it spreads quickly and destroys crops and vegetation. Originally, the brown snail does not belong in Norwegian flora, but in countries such as Spain and Portugal. The slimy creature came to Norway in 1988 through the import of plants. – I fear that they will spread more and more, says Gyda Bøtun. She has not yet seen them here, but further up by the riverbank in Fresvik she has discovered the feared creature. Photo: Oda Flaten Lødemel / news Spreading to ever new places In recent years, the brown snail has spread to new places in Norway. According to forskning.no as far north as Troms county. The snail has also climbed well up in height, to around 400 metres. It is expected that the brown snail will continue to creep into new territory. Two to three years ago, it was discovered for the first time in the Inner East near the villages along Mjøsa. A more humid climate and higher winter temperatures make it easier for the brown snail to survive in Norway. In addition to spreading itself locally, it can also follow both plants and pallets of goods to other parts of the country. – They spread quickly via different things. They can follow things and seaweed, on a shoe, or you can find them in garden waste, says snail expert and researcher at Nibio Bjørn Arild Hatteland. The brown snail can lay 400 eggs in one year, from spring to autumn. The eggs are laid in holes in the ground or in compost piles. Photo: Pernille Scheele / Pernille Scheele news Having a bad time If you first get a brown slug in the garden, you are having a bad time, according to the expert. – You have to take them as soon as possible before they lay eggs for next year, says Hatteland. A snail can lay 400 eggs in a year. – They are difficult to remove completely, as they are hermaphrodites. A single snail can start a new population by fertilizing its own eggs. As early as August, many have laid eggs, says the snail expert. How to overcome brown snails Bjørn Arild Hatteland has several tips for those who want to get rid of brown snails. He recommends using several different methods, but also says that it depends on how much time and resources one wants to use. Keep the garden clean and tidy. According to the researcher, the snails thrive in bushes and thickets, and you can go a long way by clearing away dead leaves and weeds. Follow early in the morning and late in the evening. Then you can find out where the snails are, and take more targeted measures Pick the snails and cut them in half. Snails are cannibals with a good sense of smell. If you kill a brown snail and leave it there, other brown snails will flock to eat it. This way you can take several at a time. There are several means that can be used to reduce the brown snail population. These come, for example, in pellet form, which the snail eats and dies. Now there is also Nemaslug, which mimics the brown snail’s natural enemy, the roundworm. Pick and kill There are several measures one can take to overcome the unwanted snail, although it is difficult to remove it completely once it has taken root. In the village of Leikanger in Vestland, they discovered the brown snail for the first time 10 years ago, and set in motion a great effort. This is also the advice of the experts. – Pick and kill the snail, and follow the development, encourages Hatteland. The brown snail is difficult to get rid of and spreads quickly. Photo: Benjamin Dyrdal / news In Fresvik, Gyda Bøtun hopes that people will take the brown snail problem seriously. – I hope people are aware of the problem and make an effort. Nobody in the village wants these snails here. Published 17.07.2024, at 16.02
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The brown snail is spreading to new places in Norway – news Vestland
