UNSaveSpara
A copy of the invasive species of leaf plate mask (Obama Nungara) photographed in Helsingborg in April 2025.
1/4foto: Johan Nilsson / TT
The cultivation season 2025 is characterized by a feverish hunt for mask at nurseries and commercial gardens.
An invasive leaf plate mask from South America is to be stopped – the mistake that was made when the killer snail came to Sweden should not be repeated.
With waving tail, the hunting ladies are snapping through the plantings in the Öresundsparken in Helsingborg. The reward will be both carrot dice and praise if she finds a mask, so she is strictly focused.
Aila is one of seven search dogs that received special training in flatworm search between January and March and now her services are in demand.
– There are many companies that take this seriously, says Aila’s owner Helen Persson.
– It is not easy for us to find them with our eyes and it is not easy for the dogs either. But you can do both and we will find more than you would otherwise.
Eat earthworms
The mask is flat and insignificant and for humans it is difficult to find as it usually holds a bit below the ground surface. Here it can cause great damage because it kills and eats earthworms.
Marie Koenen, who trained Aila and the other search dogs in flatworm hunting, shows a movie on the mobile to what it might look like. The flatworm winds around the earthworm and secrete a substance.
– It feels a little kinky to look at it. It melts down the earthworm.
If the leaf plate mask gets widely spread and kills lots of earthworms, it risks having a major impact on the fertility of the earth.
No enemies
The problem is that, as far as known so far, it lacks natural enemies in Sweden, explains Henrik Lange, coordinator for invasive species at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
The first find of the flatworm, which has the Latin name Obama Nungara, was made in a planting in Malmö last November. In December, the government decided to give the authorities the right to take emergency measures. As of January 7, it is forbidden to spread it further in Sweden.
– We thought we didn’t want a new killer snail, says Henrik Lange.
But the import plants are now pouring in when it is high season at the nurseries and Marie Koenen testifies that the dog ship finds mask almost every time they are out.
Only in Sweden
So far, it is only in Sweden that the spread ban applies, which sets it to the importers, but a decision at EU level is expected after the summer.
– It would be tremendous if the other countries also list it, says Henrik Lange.
After all, the large turnout in the garden industry means that he, after all, breathes some optimism.
– Yes, we do something to put P for it. Since how good it is, we cannot say until 2025 is coming to an end.
Facting so are you looking for flatworm
The leaf plate mask Obama Nungara originally comes from South America, but is now found in many European countries. Anyone who buys a new garden plant is encouraged to keep their eyes open.
When buying a new plant: ask the staff how they control the plants.
Once you get the plant home: Check under and in the pot. Often they sit between the earth and the pot. Light with a flashlight.
If you find worms: Place them in a jar and pour on boiling water. Wait a couple of days to plant the plant and continue to look for mask.
Don’t waste soil: the soil from an affected plant may contain egg capsules. They look like small peppercorns, first red and then brownish black. Each capsule can accommodate upwards of 20 new worms. The soil may also contain newly hatched minimum masks. Therefore, throw earth waste in containers for combustible waste or clean up the soil through heat.
Source: County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland
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