Zebra Mussel Repellent

[erie_guy]

Hi,

I want to try using swimming pool chlorine or bromine as a repellent for Zebra mussels that attach each summer to my stern drives. The boat is on the Portage River near Port Clinton (Lake Erie). Each fall, for the last eight years, we have to pressure wash/blast the critters from the nooks and crannies of the stern drives - what a pain!!

My plan is to tie one or two floating dispensers close to the stern drives when it is docked. These floating dispensers are available at WalMart for < $10. and are used for small pools or hot tubs to keep the water clear and free of algae.

Has any one tried this approach with any success or failure ? Would chlorine or bromine be the preferred chemical.

I would probably put a couple of tablets in the dispensers when parking the boat for the week and pull them out during the week end for use. Don't see how they could damage the environment or fishing. And who knows, it may keep green slime from forming on the bottom paint.

Thanks for sharing any experiences you may have. Assuming I have any measure of success, I will let you know next season so you can visit Wally World for your fix.

erie_guy
Port Clinton, OH

 

[themaniam1]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

Ah, I think that would be illegal. Those chemicals are for water in a pool were not living creature lives in. You would polluting the local waters and would kill everything around your boat. If there was a way to repel them safely it would be in use now.

The only way a boater can "prevent" those little crustaceans from attaching is regular power washing or letting the boat dry out for a week in the summer heat and then re-launching.

 

[erie_guy]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

Themaniam1,

Thanks for expressing your concerns. I believe that the concentration of Cl or Br would have to be low as swimmers do not want to be killed as you suggest would happen. The Cl concentration in a public pool is less than 5 PPM for optimum protection from bacteria, ect. In a river, I believe the local concentration around the stern drives would be even lower. The dispensers control the release rate so a couple tablets would last a week or so.

Most potable water is chlorinated and released into the streams with out killing any fish or other living things.

erie_guy
Port Clinton, OH

 

[Shife]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

Definitely not legal or effective without the boat surrounded by a boat bath. Even with the boat bath you can get in trouble if someone decides to push the issue. Boat baths are quickly becoming illegal relics as well. Seems silly, but you know how environmental laws are.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

Themaniam1, Don't see how they could damage the environment or fishing.
Thanks for expressing your concerns. I believe that the concentration of Cl or Br would have to be low as swimmers do not want to be killed as you suggest would happen. The Cl concentration in a public pool is less than 5 PPM for optimum protection from bacteria, ect. In a river, I believe the local concentration around the stern drives would be even lower. The dispensers control the release rate so a couple tablets would last a week or so.

Most potable water is chlorinated and released into the streams with out killing any fish or other living things.

erie_guy
Port Clinton, OH

Ayuh,... You Can't be Serious,..??..??..??..??

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

It's the best (onlyest) idea I've ever heard, but your tablets will quickly dissolve and the dilution rate is rediculous, like taking a glass of water out of a pond , I thought you were talking about putting something in your bilge, but that wouldn't be too good either that stuff is highly corrosive.
Keep thinking and when you come up with a solution let me in on it too ok.
Maybe a little vibrating 12v motor up against the drive would discourage them little buggars.

 

[Kevinmcm]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

Well, i don't know how it would work in your situation, but i do know this, those pretty little flowers the Girlfriend planted around the hottub, yeah, they arent there anymore! Too much splashing and they were killed by the bromine, not the hot water. So bromine, even in small forms, can kill living things, not people, but the little things!

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

I did a quick research and turned up this little tid-bit.
Zebra mussels are stalwart foes, resistant to chemical treatments, to the extent that an effective dose in any body water would kill everything in it.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

Ducks eat them..... how about a trained watch duck!! Or a boat lift dock.

Sorry but it's true.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Zebra Mussel Repellent

When you leave it in slip just have your wife jump in and tie a garbage bag around the drive, one with the drawstrings to make it easy on her, but just don't forget to send her down to pull it off when you go back out. Their so bad when you pull up your 15lb anchor it now weighs 20lb!