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| Zebra Mussels at Four Mile Lake (April 30, 2005) |
A FMLA member on Beaver Trail, reported to us in early January that he saw " a few Zebra Mussels " on the anchorage for his water hose as he was taking it in last fall. His e-mail contained a photo of a Zebra Mussel, which he apparently got over the internet. We passed on the e-mail to Mr. Moraal, Area Biologist at MNR Minden, who could only verify that the photo was indeed a Zebra Mussel! He, however, alerted the INVADING SPECIES HOTLINE at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) about this occurrence. From a short Google search for "Zebra Mussels", lots of information about them was brought up. Of interest is the fact that they can have differing colour and pattern/no pattern variations, but it is important to note that they are the ONLY freshwater mussel that can firmly attach itself to solid objects - submerged rocks, dock pilings, boat hulls, water intake pipes, ropes, etc." Although we will not have confirmation that our lake does have Zebra Mussels until we have samples identified by experts, we probably have enough circumstantial evidence (one other Zebra Mussel reporting for our lake was made to OFAH in 2000) to give our cottagers a " heads up" at this time. In the meantime Four Mile Lake residents should be on the lookout for Zebra Mussels and to report any findings to us as soon as possible. (Brian Woods: 454-2837) We will drop over to the members cottage this spring to see if we can collect some samples to take to the OFAH offices and labs in Peterborough for identification. We will also start working with OFAH's Invading Species Watch this coming summer, which involves taking lake water samples and having them tested at the OFAH labs. Baby Zebra Mussels, called 'veligers', are microscopic. We ask our residents to do their
own Google search to get some practical information about what they can
do to prevent accumulations of these pests Finally, OFAH has given us specific information on Zebra Mussel control products that are commercially available. You should note that OFAH and Four Mile Lake Association do not endorse any of the products on the list, and it is recommended that you speak with product manufacturers before purchasing. These product listings are included in the reprint of this article on our website. |
| /Brian Woods |
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