Boating enthusiasts who moor in mussel-infested waters should beware of the havoc the lilliputian molluscan monsters can wreak. Once they attach themselves,Dreissena polymorphaare notoriously hard to get rid of. In the interest of boaters everywhere, here'south how to remove zebra mussels from your boat.

How to remove zebra mussels

Zebra mussels found on a beach in Superior, Wisconsin
Zebra mussels plant on a embankment | MARLIN LEVISON/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Juvenile and adult mussels have the uncanny ability to attach to practically any difficult surface on a gunkhole, including fiberglass, forest, aluminum, and steel hulls, as well as motors, propellers, and water intake pipes. Mussels in a motor can cause overheating, and mussels on the hull can impairment the finish and decrease fuel efficiency, says the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)

To remove zebra mussels, audit every inch of your boat and manus-pluck whatever and all adult mollusks you find. Discard the mussel in the trash and repeat until all visible zebra mollusks are gone. Be thorough, equally information technology's imperative you remove and discard every mussel.

If your boat's hull is fabricated of metallic, ability wash information technology at high force per unit area with water at least 104 degrees fahrenheit, the WDNR recommends. To prevent reinfestation, use an antifouling blanket to the hull at least once a twelvemonth and add an in-line strainer to the boat engine cooling system.

  • Add a flushing "motor muff" to the gunkhole engine
  • Utilize a elevator to raise your gunkhole completely out of the h2o betwixt uses
  • Thoroughly rinse the boat and engine after each use
  • Use your gunkhole ofttimes, and run the engine at a slow speed at least twice per week
  • When leaving a torso of water, tip the motor downward to discharge water

How to stop the spread of zebra mussels

Zebra mussels not only damage boats but are besides an invasive species that destroy native ecosystems. According to the Pelican Lake Holding Owners Association, boaters should take the following steps to prevent further spread of zebra mussels and their larvae:

  • Dispose of unused bait
  • Bleed all h2o from motor
  • Drain all water from transom, bilge, and alive well
  • Dry out boat and equipment in the dominicus
  • Every fourth dimension yous dock for the mean solar day, inspect and remove all aquatic plants and mud
  • Wash boat and all equipment with a pressure washer

What are zebra mussels?

Zebra mussels are fingernail-sized, 2-shelled mollusks that originated in and around the Blackness Sea and Caspian Sea in Eastern Europe. Zebra mussels were kickoff seen in North America in Lake Saint Claire in 1988. Now considered a scourge to boats, the invasive mussels are believed to take been introduced to American waters past way of discharge from bounding main-going vessels, according to the Virginia Section of Wildlife Resources.

Dissimilar tasty marine mussels, zebra mussels are a freshwater species of mollusk and are rarely, if e'er, eaten. The United States Geographical Survey (USGS) advises against consuming them because they are filter feeders and what they consume is likely to be contaminated. They're also likewise modest to provide much in the fashion of meat.

The creatures crusade more damage than you might think

In 2017, the USGS revealed that native mussel species in Lake Saint Claire and the western Lake Erie bowl are virtually extinct due to the presence and proliferation of zebra mussels. Some people recollect the relatively improved visibility of lake waters ways the lakes are clearer, but that's not the case at all.

Every bit mentioned above, zebra mussels are filter feeders, and they happen to eat the same foods equally native freshwater mussels. Zebra mussels reproduce at a remarkable rate and filter out all the algae that would otherwise be food for native organisms. Now that zebra mussels are hither, they're non probable to go abroad. Boaters who listen the same advice stand up the best chance of preventing mussel infestation in the outset place.

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