Another Zebra Mussel question

[pullin]

In Texas, we are now required to remove the drainplug and drain the bilge water prior to changing lakes. This is part of an effort to stop the transport of zebra mussels from lake to lake (as I understand it). Does the heat in the engine kill the zebra mussel larvae? If not, it seems as though the critters could simply ride along in the engine and hoses till flushed into the next lake.

Has anyone had problems with them taking up residence inside an engine or outdrive? What do you do to combat this?

Apologies if already covered, but I didn't see these particular questions in a search.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

If you don't get an answer contact TPWD and I bet they have an answer.

Mark

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

Usually, according to the USDA (I was an inspector) heat up to 146 degrees is considered fully cooked for meat and will kill all pathogenic bacteria. It is also usually above the heat at which milk and eggs are pasteurized. Pasteurization involves heating to a lower temperature and holding for a dwell time to kill pathogenic bacteria. (simplified explanation)

130 degrees is hot enough to scald skin, which is the reason most home water heaters are recommended to be set to 125.

Thus, if your engine is running at 130-140 degrees or more for any period of time, that heat WILL kill or inactivate almost anything alive, including Zebra Mussel larvae.

However, TRUE sterilization requires temperatures above boiling (15 pounds of steam in an autoclave for 15 minutes, I think it reaches 250 degrees). This will kill everything including spore forming bacteria which are the most heast resistant.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

In Texas, we are now required to remove the drainplug and drain the bilge water prior to changing lakes. This is part of an effort to stop the transport of zebra mussels from lake to lake (as I understand it). Does the heat in the engine kill the zebra mussel larvae? If not, it seems as though the critters could simply ride along in the engine and hoses till flushed into the next lake.

Has anyone had problems with them taking up residence inside an engine or outdrive? What do you do to combat this?

Apologies if already covered, but I didn't see these particular questions in a search.

Ayuh,.... We have zebra mussels, Bad in the Great Lakes,...

I see more of 'em on moorin' lines, 'n trim tabs, some on the drive too...

'n, Yes, they surely can hitch a ride in a typical I/O,...
Much of the exhausted water never sees anymore heat, than passin' though the exhaust manifolds...
All the water that hasn't made it to the T-stat housin', has seen No heat...
Only the water held in the block, by the T-stat ever gets what I' call, Hot...

I don't take my barge to the family lodge at Chemo pond, Maine so often now, unless headed for the Saltwater 1st,...
If I were too,... I'd probably run a bleach mix through it, like some folks do with antifreeze,...
'ell,.. Antifreeze itself would work too...
It'll Kill 'bout anything in higher doses...

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

Ayuh,.... We have zebra mussels, Bad in the Great Lakes,...

You're preachin' to the choir here...

On my "home" lake, Lake "Winneseptic"('bago) they've taken over. Clogged municipal intakes, ruined shorelines etc...

Do NOT take the warnings/precautions lightly...

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

I'd probably run a bleach mix through it, like some folks do with antifreeze,...
'ell,.. Antifreeze itself would work too...

Be VERY careful with bleach around aluminum. Leave some bleach solution in an aluminum manifold over winter, and you might have an extra hole in there by spring.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

Be VERY careful with bleach around aluminum. Leave some bleach solution in an aluminum manifold over winter, and you might have an extra hole in there by spring.

Ayuh,.... As I typed that, I thoughta the Antifreeze thing,...

A Much Better alternative I think....

 

[JEBar]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

when a boat is drained, how long can a zebra mussel live out of water

Jim

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

We're told 21 days. The lake I keep my boat is infested with zebra mussels.

This is what I have to do to comply with MN's new laws concerning these things:

Go to MN DNR website, and print a form which permits me to legally move my boat from the infested lake. Fill out form and have it with me when I'm moving the boat on the trailer.
Pull boat out of lake, and immediately drain all water from bilge and live wells. Pull drain plug and leave it out.
Plug must stay out until at the launch to put boat back in water.
Clean all weeds from boat and trailer. Immediately move boat to the address stated on my Invasive Species transport permit and clean all traces of zebra mussles from the boat.
Fine for transporting invasive species outside of that permit is $500. Fine for having plug in while not at the launch is $100.
Game wardens are agressively enforcing these new laws in my area.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

We're told 21 days. The lake I keep my boat is infested with zebra mussels.

This is what I have to do to comply with MN's new laws concerning these things:

Go to MN DNR website, and print a form which permits me to legally move my boat from the infested lake. Fill out form and have it with me when I'm moving the boat on the trailer.
Pull boat out of lake, and immediately drain all water from bilge and live wells. Pull drain plug and leave it out.
Plug must stay out until at the launch to put boat back in water.
Clean all weeds from boat and trailer. Immediately move boat to the address stated on my Invasive Species transport permit and clean all traces of zebra mussles from the boat.
Fine for transporting invasive species outside of that permit is $500. Fine for having plug in while not at the launch is $100.
Game wardens are agressively enforcing these new laws in my area.

You forgot to talk to all the ducks and gulls and tell them to take a bleach bath before flying to the next lake.

 

[JEBar]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

We're told 21 days

Game wardens are agressively enforcing these new laws in my area.

info appreciated .... we took our boat from NC to Minnesota a little over 10 years ago and were stopped at the ramp in Winona .... we were informed of the problem and instructed to do the same things .... question, does it appear that the enforcement is working ?

Jim

 

[roscoe]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

info appreciated .... we took our boat from NC to Minnesota a little over 10 years ago and were stopped at the ramp in Winona .... we were informed of the problem and instructed to do the same things .... question, does it appear that the enforcement is working ?

Jim

No.

They say it would be worse without the new laws, and indeed it would be.

But they are still spreading to new lakes and rivers.

Remember, birds and animals move from waterway to waterway too.

Ducks, geese, eagles, and brown pelicans all migrate through this area.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

I'm not really convined it will do much more that slow down the spread-at best. Funny thing is that they are monitoring the boats going in, and the lake is already contanimated? Why not guard the places that are not infested?
I think it's more a "We just gotta so something" reaction than any meaningful prevention. They can't catch every boat, and it only takes one to screw up the lake.
When I put the boat on the lake this spring, the inspector found a shell fragment from the 2011 season that I missed when I cleaned the boat last October. I had to park the rig on a large tarp with 6" sides, where another DNR inspector spent a half hour with a very expensive looking heated pressure washer giving my boat a very thorough bath. The tarp was to catch the runoff water, which was vacummed up into a huge holding tank. At a lake already infested with zebra mussels.
Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But they sure got to use some pretty fancy equipment, and earn lots of OT, I bet.
All courtesy of the MN taxpayers. But I really doubt it'll make much of an impact. Certainly not in proportion to the cost of the program and the new laws that need to be enforced.

 

[JEBar]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

I'm not really convined it will do much more that slow down the spread-at best. Funny thing is that they are monitoring the boats going in, and the lake is already contanimated? Why not guard the places that are not infested?

interesting .... I can understand making strong effort to ensure folks launching into an infested lake realize they need to be very careful when they cleanup their boats but going to such extremes as you outlined makes no sense to me

Jim

 

[BobGinCO]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

You're preachin' to the choir here...
On my "home" lake, Lake "Winneseptic"('bago) they've taken over. Clogged municipal intakes, ruined shorelines etc...
Do NOT take the warnings/precautions lightly...

Well, I guess I won't bring my boat, next time I visit Wisconsin! We've only got 5 lakes testing positive at this time, in Colorado.

 

[pootnic]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

I read this:

The growth of settled mussels is also limited by temperature. Experiments by Walz (1978) indicated that no positive growth occurred in zebra mussels exposed to 4.5? to 5.5?C (40? to 42?F) water drawn from a 60-m (197-ft) depth in Lake Constance. Food availability presented the limiting growth factor at this depth. Poor growth of zebra mussels also occurs when temperatures are greater than 28?C (82?F), and no survival at temperatures greater than 32?C (90?F) (Claudi and Mackie, 1994) (Ohio Sea Grant 1993).
It also talked about a mussel control strategy program and in it said heat the water to 100 degrees F will kill exsisting mussels../
http://energyandsustainability.fs.cornell.edu/util/cooling/production/lsc/eis/mussels.cfm

Someone mentioned pasteurization earlier...umm,just because you reach the 146 degrees,it doesn't make it pasteurized.It has to be held for atleast a 1/2 hour,plus the air space above it has to be 5 degrees hotter,etc...so be careful if you want to pasteurize milk at home.Most dairies heat it well above that temp. although for a shorter time period.

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

You're preachin' to the choir here...

On my "home" lake, Lake "Winneseptic"('bago) they've taken over. Clogged municipal intakes, ruined shorelines etc...

Do NOT take the warnings/precautions lightly...

I grew up on the north side of the lake and that's exactly how I remember it. I've heard it's still been ungodly nasty in the summer though which is too bad, as long as they're reeking havoc you'd like to think they'd also at least decrease some of the green crud.

 

[theBrownskull]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

I spoke to the MN DNR about using chemicals to disinfect the boat when leaving lakes or waterways with zebra mussel infestation. I was instructed that the best method is letting it dry or hot water. The DNR is concerned that people will use chemicals that are so concentrated that they will cause more pollution. It is a problem that I do not know what the answer is maybe a drought where all the water dries up..hope not but with the lack of rain who knows.

 

[T_Herrod]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

Boats leaving Clear Lake IA must be drained and all aquatic plants removed before leaving the loading area. So far i have only found 1 zebra mussel on my boat. Our lake got so low this summer that the water temp hit the mid 80's in the heat of the summer. I hope this will help reduce the mussel population in Clear Lake.

 

[sam60]

Re: Another Zebra Mussel question

Not to hijack but to show how bad of a problem this is, We have the Quaga mussel here in the SW and they say it came from the great lakes. If it made from the greats to Lake Mead, it is a very big deal!!!!!!

From UNLV Research via the local paper LVRJ.... "Researchers don’t know exactly how the mussels arrived at Lake Mead, though the most likely source was a boater from the Great Lakes region where quagga mussels have been wreaking havoc for more than 20 years."

"More than 1.5 trillion adult quagga mussels and 320 trillion baby quagga mussels live in Lake Mead, according to new calculations from researchers at UNLV."