Snail trivia

we have snails crawling around our compound, brought in from the trucks from the farms.

they are a pest: they eat rice seeds and young seedlings.

Article about them from IRRI (Rice institute)

Biological control Encourage natural predators. Red ants feed on the snail eggs while ducks (and sometimes rats) will eat young snails. Several wild bird species have also adapted to feed on golden apple snails and domestic ducks can be put into fields during final land preparation or after crop establishment when plants are big enough (e.g., 30−35 DAT). Snails can also be harvested, cooked and eaten or sold as animal feed. However, it is important to take extra care and cook the snails thoroughly, as they are known carriers of the rat lungworm.

Cultural control Handpick snails Handpick snails and crush egg masses. This is best done in the morning and afternoon when snails are most active. Place bamboo stakes to provide sites for egg laying that allows easy collection of snail eggs for destruction. You can also use attractants or plants that attract snails, such as papaya and cassava leaves, to make hand picking easier.

Manage water Apple snails have difficulty moving in less than 2 cm of water. Keep water level below 2 cm during the vulnerable stages of the rice plant. Construct small canals or canalettes (e.g., 15−25 cm wide and 5 cm deep) after the final land preparation. Pull a sack containing a heavy object around the edges of rice paddies or at 10−15 m intervals. Canalettes facilitate drainage and act as focal points for snails making manual collection or killing easier.

more HERE.

yes, our farmers have ducks which they herd into the rice paddies to control pests.

and yes you can eat them (although I haven't seen this done: Lolo would eat crickets once in awhile, but snails? Even our cook goes postal and smashes them with her sandal when she sees one)

recipe here for preparing them to eat.  Soak. Boil. Clean. Marinate. Sun dry. Then fry. then air dry. then cook again.

Lots of work involved, which is why probably folks are not eager to harvest them or cook them.





and another trivia question: Why do so many medieval manuscripts have pictures of knights fighting snails?