Have you spotted pink eggs in the garden? You can probably guess: Yes, they come from snails, which isn't all that surprising considering this year's plague. But what should you do? Finally, there are also species of snails that are not harmful, but even useful.
Well, in this case you should act as quickly as possible because they most likely come from a harmful species of snail. To protect your plants, you should not wait too long before disposing of them.
Which snail produces pink eggs in the garden?
The pink, or sometimes pink to red, orange or green snail eggs come from the so-called apple snail (Pomacea). It was once regularly imported because it was used by aquarium owners for cleaning. The voracious snail reliably eats the unwanted algae. However, as it is very invasive and also endangers native plants, as well as can degrade the water quality of our waters (they drive out useful onesnative species), it has been banned in Germany for several years. However, many traders ignore the ban and import them anyway.
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And so it can sometimes end up in our gardens. There it prefers moist areas, which is why gardens with ponds are particularly at risk of invasion. In their home countries, they pose a particular threat to rice plants and other foods that thrive in very moist to wet soil. However, since they are also part of the staple food there and are regularly collected and eaten, the spread is limited to a certain extent. However, in our regions the snail has no natural predators.
The clutch is usually found under leaves or on towering branches and stems. About 40 days after the eggs were laid by the apple snail, the new snails hatch and, thanks to the well-chosen location of the clutch, usually fall directly into the water and begin their voracious life.
What should you do if you find pink eggs in the garden?
How do you handle this egg discovery correctly?
It is important to prevent the spread because, as you know, this happens incredibly quickly with snails. The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) recommends: It is best to first report the discovery to the authorities and, more precisely, to the plant protection service, from whom you will then receive information about how to proceed. It may be an advantage to photograph the clutch so that the authorities can assess whether it really is this type of snail. Also report the egg discovery if you are not entirely sure, because as mentioned, the color can vary.
What to do with eggs from native snails?Read here!
It is possible that the plant protection service will ask you to destroy the eggs. Make sure you have destroyed every single egg. Then you can throw them in the trash without the risk of a snail hatching.
You can reach the plant protection service at different telephone numbers depending on the federal state.You can find a list here.
Cover image: Alionta/Shutterstock
