The Nature Protection Board informs the population about the impact of Spain's naked forest

In the last year, the Nature Protection Board receives regular reports from various residents of Latvia and complaints regarding the Spanish candy carcasses Arion vulgaris. Bivalve molluscs are often found in large numbers and make significant damage to garden owners.
Spain's catastrophe is placed in the European hundreds of most invasive animals. Since 2009, this species has also been found in the territory of Latvia and more than 60 species of species have been detected and approved, which are localised mainly in the central part of Latvia. In nature, the Spanish cavity can be recognized by several signs: the invertebrate is between 7 cm and 14 cm long; the body is wide and slightly flattened; the colour varies from brownish-green to orange; the foot is white or grey and covered with slime; the surface of the body is well visible. It stays in wet places and is seen in the morning, evenings, nights, and during the rain. The Arion vulgaris externally is very similar to the red goat Arion Rufus, which is found in the Southwest of Latvia: Emmett and Lake Liepāja.
Kaylonian carcasses may endanger local plant species, both eating them and carrying different plant pathogens. Similarly, Spain's catastrophe is competing and feeding other invertebrate species such as snails and earthworms. Natural habitat species are endangered by local snails. Intersection with nearby species of the genus Arion has been observed, resulting in its assimilation and disappearance. The species may spread new parasites and pathogenic species that are imported from other regions by snails. The most endangered natural habitats in Latvia are broad-leaved forests, grave slopes, wooded dunes and grassland habitats.
The scientific literature indicates that these Kaylonian carcasses may carry Escherichia coli bacteria, are mediators for several parasite species that induce dogs of the species, proprietors for parasitic nematode species Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, the final owner of which is a cat, the contamination of green feed with snails may increase the risk of livestock with botulism induced by the bacteria of Clostridium botulinum living in the soil and may come into contact with snails.
In the case of propagation of snails, farmers are forced to use different chemical containment measures which result in indirect impact on the environmental quality or the quality of the product and the cost of production. Already today, the species indirectly affects the quality of life of a small part of the population, while in the event of massive breeding, the species may indirectly affect the quality of ecosystem services, reduce business income, land and property value.
In the territory of Latvia, the pest is mainly introduced by plants at which snail eggs are located. Along with planting, the molluscs are successfully enriched in gardens and through the roads, ditches and waterbodies are spread in both neighbouring gardens and natural areas. It is therefore important to understand that the limitation of the spread of Spain's naked forests should involve the owners of all infested areas. As the Spanish catastrophe is most intense for eggs from August to September, efforts must be made to achieve the minimum number of snails in the egg laying age and to dispose of eggs. The eggs of one planting are single and may contain more than 250 eggs. In view of the above, the Nature Protection Board calls on the local government to inform the local government of the potential impact and action of the Spanish casualties on its prevalence, as well as to report new cases of deposits by e-mail santa.rutkovska@daba.gov.lv and iveta.jakubane@llkc.lv.
If the Spanish catastrophe site has been approved, the Nature Protection Board calls for the possibility of taking measures restricting the spread of Spanish catastrophe, such as:
• The most effective method is to read by hand late in the evening at dusk or early in the morning (when Kaylonian carcasses are active) and destroy them by means of a blade or other sharp object or by placing THEM for one day AT 10% in a cooking salt solution. Spain also uses dead or injured specimens of its species in its feed. Therefore, the dead bivalve molluscs can be left to attract other specimens at a specific location, but in this case the site should be retracted. If the carcasses are destroyed by July, the dead individuals must be buried. If the carcasses are destroyed in August, September, in order to prevent eggs coming into the environment and hatching, the dead individuals must be burned or placed in a cooking salt solution;
a mollusc trap may be installed in the area. The traps may serve boxes, jars, bottles with a cut-off end and a lubricating agent, such as blowing plants, dogs and cats, compound feedingstuffs;
• In the area, drifting traps can be installed - in soil up to the surface of the soil a container is placed in which the liquid is poured together with the lubricating agent. The most frequently drowning traps for the lubricating agent are beer. If there is only clean water in the traps, the snails can quickly break out. Therefore, the liquid must contain substances that contribute to the drowning of snails — 1 % copper (copper sulphate) or 10 % cooking salt solution;
• Chemical containment using lipoids - scattering the granules in the areas where they are seen most. However, the use of limacide should be subject to the appropriate conditions of use and storage.
It should be noted that the limitation of naked forests is a labour-intensive process that needs to be carried out every year. Therefore, there are a number of preventive measures which would help to prevent the spread of Spain's catastrophic forests - a regular roadside, a ditch, a mowing of overgrown places in the vicinity of bivalve molluscs. It is recommended that the harvested grass be harvested so that the molluscs do not have a place to hide. Given that bivalve molluscs are also attracted by compost piles, the use of closed-type compost tanks that prevents the entry or exit of molluscs from the tank is recommended.
Nature Protection Department's Nature Protection Department
Director Gita Strode