05/25/07 Surveying for a new agricultural pest

Washington Ag May 25, 2007 State and federal agricultural officials are continuing to survey eastern Washington to determine if a snail found in 2005 at the Port of Tacoma has spread to where it can do damage to wheat, barley and forage crops. The snail, which is widespread in Australia, causes an estimated 10 million dollars a year in agricultural damage there. Washington State Department of Agriculture managing entomologist Dr. Jim Marra says the vineyard snail, native to the Mediterranean, has infested 300 acres at the Port of Tacoma and it has the nasty capability of attaching itself to things like shipping containers. Marra: "We'll be doing surveys in other ports, seaports. We will be looking at rail yards, railroads, those kinds of areas where there is a lot of trade and traffic through from the ports to the interior portions of the state." Like rail yards in Spokane, Yakima and the Tri-cities. So far the vineyard snail has not been detected outside the Port of Tacoma and Marra says an action plan to eradicate the snail at the Port is being developed. That could entail removal of vegetation and debris, burning and pesticide treatments. It's hoped land owners in the area like the Port and the Puyallup Indian Tribe will cooperate. I'm Bob Hoff.