Idaho continues to check for mussels in aquarium products
Since detections of zebra mussels in aquarium products during the first week of March, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture has continued working in coordination with state and federal partners to further identify retail distribution, collect affected products and ensure proper disposal.
That has included the activation of the Columbia River Basin Rapid Response Plan, which coordinates multiagency responses to aquatic species threats.
ISDA staff have continued to investigate additional distributors shipping product to Idaho retail stores. ISDA’s intent is to verify presence or absence of invasive mussels. To date, no additional distributors or Idaho retail stores have been identified with contaminated aquarium stock.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also assigned enforcement officers to visit pet and aquarium vendors and aquarium product distributors/wholesalers across the country to continue tracing back the products’ origination, retail distribution and sales, and to see if samples show the presence of zebra mussels.
Not all states have invasive species program equipped for enforcement actions, so USFWS activities help to ensure a nationwide response to the issue.
Effective March 10, USFWS updated their recommendations for treatment and disposal of moss balls, water and other affected aquarium material.
New recommendations include:
•Do not dispose of moss balls in drains, waterways or gardens. Moss balls must be destroyed and disposed of in a sealed container in the trash.
•Destroy moss balls by freezing, boiling or by submersing in chlorine bleach or undiluted white vinegar.
•Dispose of moss balls and any packaging in a sealed plastic bag in the trash. If vinegar, boiling water or bleach was used, the liquid can be disposed of down a household drain but never down a storm drain where it could enter and damage local waterways.
•Drain and clean the aquarium using either a hot water or disinfection method, keeping manufacturer recommendations in mind.
Contact the Idaho Invasive Species Program hotline at (877) 336-8676 or via email at info@isda.idaho.gov.