Effectiveness of a Hand Removal Program for Management of Nonindigenous Apple Snails in an Urban Pond

Introduced applesnails (Ampullariidae: Pomacea) have been responsible for crop and habitat damage in freshwater systems around the world. Two Pomacea species known to damage aquatic vegetation, P. maculata (Island Apple Snail) and P. canaliculata (Channeled Apple Snail), have been introduced into Florida. This investigation was conducted to evaluate efficacy of a hand-removal program for the management of nonindigenous Pomacea in a small (1.62 ha), relatively isolated urban pond. We removed snails and egg masses from the pond by hand at pre-determined time intervals during May 2008—June 2011. We made a total of 107 collections; 21,343 snails and 20,244 egg masses were removed during the study period with >90% of both removed during the first year (20,961 and 18,934, respectively). Snail densities were reduced in the wadeable near-shore habitat from 1–3/m2 to