Introduction

Hit here for results on Geneva Lake's zebra mussels substrait counts.

Zebra Mussels:

• Zebra mussels are native to Europe and introduced to the Great Lakes via cargo ships.
• Zebra mussels have spread to all of the Great Lakes in just 4 years.
• The zebra mussel is the only fresh water mussel or clam that can attach itself to hard surfaces.
• One mature female mussel can produce 40,000 eggs per season, which hatch within a few days into a veliger (microscopic free floating larva) that can be carried anywhere water can go.
• Veligers can float anywhere from 8 to 33 days before attaching to a firm surface to mature.
• Mature mussels (varying from 1/8 to 2 inches in length) can cluster together in colonies of up to 70,000 zebra mussels per square meter.
• One zebra mussel can filter feed one liter of water per day, removing plankton from that water. Disrupting the planktonic community, the base of the food chain, can have a dramatic effect on lake ecology by disrupting the natural flow of energy.

What Does This Mean For Inland Lakes?

• The speed of the spread of zebra mussels through the Great Lakes brings forth concern as to the spread of the zebra mussels through inland lakes.
• The Zebra mussels' ability to attach itself to firm surfaces poses many threats to inland lakes. They can attach to piers and boats. This hinders boat performance. Since Geneva Lake relies on boating for recreation and economics, such a problem has the potential to be harmful.
• The Zebra mussel shells can cut your feet while at the beach.
• The veliger stage in the life cycle of the zebra mussel poses new threats to inland lakes. These larvae can go anywhere water can go. Thus mussels can end up inside boat motors or intake pipes, where they can go undetected. The adults can live out of water for an extended period of time allowing easy transfer of zebra mussels from lake to lake.
• Huge colonies of zebra mussels can clogg just about any size hole. The mussels become attached to water intake pipes used for irrigation, clogging and causing expensive damage to pumps.
• Introducing a new exotic animal with its amazing densities and filter feeding capabilities can severely disrupt the normal lake ecosystem function and structure. All the native organisms have evolved in delicate balance for thousands of years. Because the zebra mussel is so recent to North America, the actual effects are not fully understood. The problem is that by the time the effects are understood, it may be too late. The damage may have already been done.

What You Can Do:

• If a boat has been on the lake for any length of time (over 2 weeks), upon removal, be on the lookout for those black and white striped mussels.
• Clean the boat hull thoroughly and scrape the bottom if necessary.
• Flush clean water through the engine cooling system.
• Drain bilge water, live wells, bait buckets and engine compartments and make sure water or weeds are not trapped in or on boat trailers, because weeds are now thought to be the main way for zebra mussel transportation.
• Disinfect live wells, bilges, anchors, bait buckets or other wetted surfaces with a 1:10 solution of bleach.
• Do not transfer live bait or water from one lake to another.
• Allow the boat to dry thoroughly for at least two days.

Please help control the spread of this exotic invader to other inland lakes!