How To Get Rid Of Zebra Mussels

The USGS documents the zebra mussel's geographic distribution and studies its behavior and biology. The resulting information is critical in helping to develop strategies aimed at containing and controlling the mussel's spread. Meanwhile, catching and transporting zebra mussels for use as bait, food, and aquarium pets is highly discouraged.

We also encourage good boat hygiene:

Wash your boat off with warm, soapy water if possible
Do not transport water from live wells and bait buckets from one water body to another; empty them onto land when possible and dispose of leftover bait in the trash. Most often the bait fish are not native to that water, just like the zebra mussels.

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What are zebra mussels and why should we care about them?

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Carp are not native to North American waters, but various carp species have been introduced here since the mid-1800s, much to the detriment of native fish. Although carp eradication measures have been active for over 100 years, long-established species, like the common carp, are present in almost every state. Asian carp (bighead, black, grass, and...

What is an invasive species and why are they a problem?

An invasive species is an introduced, nonnative organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that begins to spread or expand its range from the site of its original introduction and that has the potential to cause harm to the environment, the economy, or to human health. A few well-known examples include the unintentional introduction of the...

Date published: September 18, 1997

Zebra Mussels Are Spreading Rapidly, USGS Reports

Zebra mussels expanded their range in the past year, invading 11 new lakes in the Great Lakes region and dramatically increasing in Lake Champlain, according to U.S. Geological Survey biologists.

Invasive Zebra Mussels

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a small, non-native mussel originally found in Russia. In 1988, this animal was transported to North America in the ballast water of a transatlantic

...

Invasive Zebra Mussels

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a small, non-native mussel originally found in Russia. In 1988, this animal was transported to North America in the ballast water of a transatlantic

...

Titleist golf ball covered in zebra mussels

Titleist infested with multiple age groups of newly settled and previously settled zebra mussels. Collected by physical survey from a transect on Maple Lake near Alexandria, Minnesota

Zebra Mussel

Zebra mussels are small, averaging about an inch long. Two inches is approximately the maximum size.