Orange 'Cannibal' Slugs Overrun Russian Village
Slugs are gradually overrunning the village territory
For several weeks, the village of Pavëlkovo in Mikhaylovsky District has been battling an invasion of orange slugs. People appealed to every authority, but received the same response everywhere — it is not our competence.
People fear these giants will eat everything
In early August, residents of the settlement raised the alarm. Orange slugs appeared in vegetable gardens, on streets, and in other public spaces. Realizing the danger, people immediately contacted the municipal district administration, Rospotrebnadzor, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Rosselkhoznadzor. They also wrote to the editorial office of YA62.RU asking for help in drawing attention to the problem.
These mollusks even eat their own kin
No One Responded
However, two weeks later, the issue of exterminating the pests has not moved from a dead point. As local resident Yekaterina told the publication, not a single agency took responsibility for helping the people.
«I sent a letter to the administration — and got neither answer nor greeting. No actions at all. No call, no visit. At least, I have not heard any of the neighbors say that anyone came to us», the woman complains.
She sighs into the phone. Her voice is tired but not broken. She is one of those who is used to solving problems rather than waiting for the weather to change. But here, it seems, her persistence has hit a concrete wall.
«My neighbors and I collected signatures. 45 people, I think. We wrote about what is happening here. And what? No one came, no one called», the woman shares her worries.
The Pests Are Already Spreading Across the Whole Street
The slugs did not appear in the village yesterday. At first, they were noticed only near houses number one through five. Back then, no one paid attention — it happens, a wet year, so they multiplied.
«But this year they have already crawled past ten houses. And you have to understand that they crawl not only in one direction. They spread in all four directions. They moved to another street. Back and forth. And we have many abandoned plots here, empty meadows, thickets — they have free rein there», Yekaterina says.
The woman understands: what is happening now is only the beginning.
«Those houses we listed in the application — there is a real breeding ground there. On our plots they are still isolated. But they will multiply very quickly. Soon the summer residents will leave, and there will be no one to control them. During the fall they will multiply heavily here. And by next year, what will happen? I do not know», the woman says dejectedly.
The Harvest Goes to the Trash
Yekaterina describes how the slugs have changed the usual way of village life.
«Everyone here has gardens. Apple trees, plum trees. Now the fruit is falling, and since childhood we have been used to picking it up from the ground, washing it, and eating it. Now we do not allow ourselves to do that. Everything goes to the trash. The point is not that we are sorry to throw away extra apples. The question is different: how not to get poisoned», the woman complains.
The thing is that Spanish slugs are not just pests. They carry bacteria and helminths. They eat carrion, excrement, compost, and then crawl over fruits and vegetables.
«They also eat carrion. And feces. That is how they spread everything. And they eat each other — one ate carrion, another ate that one — and off it goes. Our acquaintances in the Moscow region used to have ordinary little gray slugs, local ones, on their plot. Now they are gone. Because these orange ones ate them. In short, they will be the masters here», the woman worries.
The editorial office of YA62.RU also sent requests to several relevant agencies.
What the Administration Answered
At the end of July, the administration of Mikhaylovsky District replied that at that time no appeals from residents had been received, so no elimination measures had been taken. Officials advised contacting the regional Rospotrebnadzor on this issue, since it is within its competence to assess the danger of the spread of pests and the threat to the environment and human health.
Rosselkhoznadzor«s Answer
Rosselkhoznadzor told YA62.RU journalists that issues of the invasion and control of orange slugs are not within the agency«s competence. At the same time, it confirmed that an application from a female resident of Pavëlkovo had been received. However, the Spanish slug that people encountered is not included in the unified list of quarantine objects of the Eurasian Economic Union. Therefore, the appeal was forwarded to Rospotrebnadzor.
Rosprirodnadzor«s Position
The regional Rosprirodnadzor reported that YA62.RU«s requests also do not fall within the agency»s competence. On issues of combating plant pests and quarantine control, it advised contacting Rosselkhoznadzor.
What Rospotrebnadzor Says
Taking into account all the agencies« recommendations, the editorial office again turned to Rospotrebnadzor for clarification, attaching the responses of other structures. However, it reported that issues concerning citizens» appeals with requests to help combat pests and conduct any measures are not included in the list of mandatory requirements subject to control within the framework of federal state sanitary and epidemiological supervision.
Why Orange Slugs Are Dangerous
The appearance of bright orange giant slugs in Mikhaylovsky District was previously commented on by YA62.RU Nadezhda Ozerova, a leading researcher at the Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The expert assured that the fears of summer residents are justified. The aliens are extremely voracious and omnivorous; they destroy plants and flowers and can eat dead animals, and when food is scarce — even their own kin.
But Ozerova calls infections the most serious threat to humans and animals:
«If a slug has been sitting in a compost pit or eating a dead animal, pathogenic microbes remain on its surface and in its slime. Therefore, it is better not to pick them up», she advises, adding that this also contributes to the spread of bacteria. The expert strongly recommends washing the harvest as thoroughly as possible, and owners of cats and dogs should be especially vigilant.
Speaking about migration routes, Ozerova notes that the pests entered the region through Moscow with European lawns and seedlings.
«A single fertilized individual is enough to start the process of forming a whole population», the biologist emphasizes, recalling the colossal fertility of slugs. She is sure that sooner or later they will reach Ryazan as well, so one should not rely on dry weather.
«If the slugs are already here, it is better to try to contain them. This is a favorable year for them, and it is better to start fighting before they spread completely», Ozerova urged.
We Will Not Stop
Thus, all the agencies that residents and journalists contacted effectively refused to solve the problem, redirecting requests to each other. The residents of Pavëlkovo were left alone with the slug invasion. They see the only way out as appealing to the prosecutor«s office.
«We will not stop. This is our common land, so it must be cleared of these pests», Yekaterina concluded the conversation.
