Both wrong and right, Horatio.
 
Wrong - not overly windy and
Right - we do need to hear first-hand accounts.
 
Thanks,
 
makuabob (a.k.a. Bob Dayle)
 
Horatio Buck wrote:
> When I was stationed on Okinawa from 1974 to 1978, we had recovered about
> $50,000,000 in useable assets from Viet Nam.  We convinced Department of the
> Army that it would be good economics to return this property to Stateside
> depots, where potential users could acquire same by paying second
> destination transportation costs.  The trouble began when Department of
> Agriculture inspectors discovered a dead - I repeat dead, Achatina fulica in
> a large container.  Since this pest is all over Okinawa, having been
> imported for use as food in the 30's or 40's, Agriculture became very
> concerned about importation of this snail into the US, particularly after
> the Florida debacle with the same animal.  As a result of this dead
> specimen, we were required to perform a 24 hour fumigation with methyl
> bromide of all the property being shipped. Envision a stack of stuff 30 ft
> wide and 200 ft long covered with black plastic sandbagged around the edges
> to insure a seal, then multiply that stack by the hundreds, you can get some
> idea of the fear of this snail.  They are voracious and prolific.  I could
> walk into my yard with a salt box and kill a hundred every day (sorry about
> my killer instincts for those who only collect dead snails).  Two large
> Achatinas could decimate a large papaya bush overnight.  I guess I'm overly
> windy but thought a first hand account of my encounter might be of interest.
>
> Horatio