OBJECTIVETo explore the spatial distribution and elimination of Oncomelania hupensis in mountainous regions.

METHODSPuge County in Tezi township was selected as the study site and the quadratus were placed randomly to investigate snail. The two sods with water were selected as the sites of snail elimination. One sod with area of 1000 m2 and mean density of 9.88 snails/0.11 m2 was selected as the trial group with 'heaping' method, and the other with area of 1000 m2 and mean density of 9.80 snails/0.11 m2 as the control group with sprinkling method. The molluscacidal effect of the two methods was compared by systematic sampling (5 m x 5 m). The sample size was 40 quadratus.

RESULTSThe snail distributed mainly in the sods with water, canals and farmlands. Among the three snail habitats, the area with snail was the most in the farmlands with relatively lower density of living snail; the next was the sods with water, with relatively higher density of living snail. Before killing snails, the rate of quadratus with snails was 87.50% in the trial site, and 82.50% in the control site. The mortality of snails was 3.89% in the trial site, and 4.16% in the control site. After three months, no living snails were found in the trial site, while in the control site, the rate of quadratus with snails (chi2 = 0.31, P > 0.05) and the mortality of snails (chi2 = 3.12, P > 0.05) did not decrease significantly, and the density of living snails only reduced by 8.88%.

CONCLUSIONThe 'heaping' method is an efficacious measure for snail control.