The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is on a mission to exterminate the Giant African land snail.

The Giant African land snail is one of the most damaging snails in the world. Not only does it eat more than 500 types of plant, it also eats plaster and concrete, so can damage houses.

Some of the snails carry a parasite that can lead to meningitis in humans.

The snails are not native to Florida so could be escaped pets. One snail can lay 1,200 eggs per year, so they breed very quickly.

The last known 'snail plague' was in 1966 when a child smuggled their three pet snails to Florida. Their grandmother set the snails free in her garden where they bred to more than 18,000 snails in just seven years.

It took the state 10 years and $1million to eradicate the snails.

The snail is one of the largest land snails in the world, growing up to eight inches in length and more than four inches in diameter.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are asking people to put any giant snails they see in a bucket, then phone them to arrange a collection.