Have you been out at the lake lately and seen what looks like a pink Nerds rope? Well, bad news. They're Apple Snail eggs, an invasive species here in Louisiana. They're also toxic, which is really unfortunate because they're definitely something that your kiddos will notice and want to touch. Don't panic though! If you do come into contact with the eggs, you'll just need to really thoroughly wash your hands. 

 

The LSU AgCenter has some more advice about the slimy invaders.  

Apple snails are an invasive species in Louisiana. They lay bright pink egg masses on structures and plants emerging from the water. Apple snails reproduce rapidly and are known for reaching high population densities in freshwater habitats including rivers, bayous, ponds and swamps.

Destruction of the eggs should be done using an implement to knock egg masses into the water, where they are prevented from hatching. Skin exposed to apple snail eggs should be washed immediately. The eggs contain a protein neurotoxin called PcPV2, which has been shown to be lethal to mice and it can cause irritation of the skin and eyes of humans.

While many adventurous Louisianians may be wondering how to best prepare the snails for dinner, people considering consumption of these mollusks should exercise caution. The snails are edible when thoroughly cooked and properly cleaned by removing all intestinal material. However, raw or undercooked snails can contain rat lungworm, a parasite that can cause potentially fatal eosinophilic meningitis.

Limpkin 

 

Limpkins, native Florida birds that feed primarily on apple snails, have been sighted in Louisiana feeding on the apple snails. In 2022, Delaina LeBlanc, the migratory bird coordinator for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and Nicholls State University completed the first Louisiana limpkin population census, counting 164 limpkins in Terrebonne, Lafourche and St. Mary parishes.

-LSU AgCenter