KENNEBEC JOURNAL • July 29, 2023
A small group of locals gathered Saturday with paddle boards, buckets and boats to collect and dispose of invasive snails threatening the ecological balance on Washington Pond. When startled, experts say they release smaller snails out of their bodies, sometimes dozens at once. The snails are successful invaders because can survive in any habitat as they overwhelm the native species. To get rid of the snails, the members catch them and store them in freezers and then give them to a local composter in town. The snails are then layered with fresh horse manure and utilized as fertilizer. Chinese Mystery Snails were first spotted in Maine in 1965. They have been found in multiple locations across Maine, including in Clearwater Pond in Franklin, Annabessacook Lake in Winthrop, Sand Pond in Litchfield, and numerous other water bodies across the state.