Zequanox Achieves 100% Mortality For Invasive Mussels In Minnesota Lake

[Slade House]

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/10100512.htm

 

This is freaking huge.  

 

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=27996

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's (MCWD) Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program requested Zequanox treatment from MBI after discovering zebra mussels near the public boat launch. The non-chemical product approved for use in open water was applied to a 50 by 60 foot containment area with an average depth of 2.5 feet. Before treating, there were approximately 5,000 live mussels in the enclosure. The treatment began on September 8 and eleven days later results showed 100 percent mortality of the zebra mussels in the treatment area.

"We are extremely pleased that Zequanox was so effective in the Christmas Lake treatment," said Keith Pitts, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for MBI. "The watershed district and the Minnesota DNR have been great partners, and we're happy to continue to see proven results for invasive mussel control. It's a comforting outcome for the public as well, because this solution is more environmentally friendly than other mussel control products and can be administered without harming people, pets or the environment."

MCWD staff monitored the effectiveness of Zequanox by counting dead mussels over time in the treatment area using collected mussels placed in cages and by searching the area for mussels attached to rocks. Also, they monitored aquariums in a laboratory that held treated water and mussels from Christmas Lake.

"Marrone Bio Innovations has been a key partner in the first phase of our response," said Craig Dawson, director of MCWD's AIS Program. "What we've learned from the treatment bodes well for future efforts to contain zebra mussel infestations, especially when they're caught early like the Christmas Lake case."

Invasive mussel populations are now prevalent in major waterways throughout the country, including the Great Lakes Region as well as the Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Colorado rivers. The mussels have a significant economic and environmental impact on recreational water use. Colonies of invasive zebra and quagga mussels negatively impact native mussel populations, disrupt the natural ecosystem and cause proliferation of toxic blue-green algae. They decrease game fish populations, which can have a serious effect on the economic health of the fishing industry. Swimmers run the risk of injury from the invasive mussels' sharp shells, and water intakes from infested lakes and rivers used for irrigation, fire suppression and drinking water can suffer impeded or blocked flow and damage to infrastructure and equipment.

Zequanox is the industry's only selective and environmentally compatible molluscicide, which was first approved by the EPA in 2012 for mussel control in enclosed systems and infrastructures for energy producers, manufacturing companies and golf courses. The EPA approved Zequanox in July for open water use and as a result, the product is now available to private waterfront owners and natural resource managers as an effective solution to control existing populations of invasive mussels or knock back new infestations without the use of environmentally harmful treatments, such as potash and copper-based products.

Composed of dead cells derived from a naturally occurring soil microbe, Zequanox controls mussels in all life stages. Unlike toxic treatments, such as potash and copper-based solutions, Zequanox is biodegradable and noncorrosive. In addition, Zequanox is highly selective to control only the invasive zebra and quagga mussels, is effective in a broad range of water conditions and according to the EPA, its active ingredient has "low toxicity and presents little risk to non-target organisms."

Zequanox is applied directly into an open body of water, such as a lake or river, using standard injection equipment. Treatments can occur during any time of the day while people and pets are present, and can be completed within hours. The product offers additional flexibility because it is proven to be effective in a broader range of water conditions.

The product offers a zero hour re-entry interval, so there is no waiting period after treatment that might interfere with commercial or recreational use of a waterway, such as fishing, swimming or boating. The U.S. EPA determined Zequanox was exempt from the requirement of a food tolerance, which indicates that there is no concern with using treated water to irrigate crops or that eating fish caught in waters treated by Zequanox poses any risk to consumers.

Traditional chemical products do exist to effectively treat invasive mussel populations, however they can leave damaging environmental impacts. Solutions containing potash (potassium chloride, KCI) and copper based products can kill endangered and threatened native mussel species. Also, use of potash- and copper-based products lead to public heath concerns resulting in restricted drinking water use from reservoirs and prohibitions on recreational use for extended periods. Both chemicals are toxic to non-targeted organisms and persist in the environment, causing prolonged ecosystem exposure.

[Bluebasser86]

Think cost efficiency is going to be the biggest issue with treating them. One of our local lakes that has zebra mussels is supposedly going to try this stuff in their lake. I'm interested to see how their efforts go and hoping I can find out how much of the chemical it takes to treat their lake (200 acres roughly) and how much it cost. Several lakes in the area have the things. Even if it doesn't completely eradicate them, if they could kill off a majority of them at minimal cost that would be great.

[Lund Explorer]

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/10100512.htm

 

This is freaking huge.  

 

 

I might agree with that statement if the attached article had been more complete, and hadn't been written like a press release by the company itself.  That and the fact that the headline is misleading!

 

Before I would call this a cure, I'd like to see it work on an entire lake, see the cost for that treatment, and most importantly, find a way to stop the potential for re-introduction of this scourge once eliminated.  Color me the skeptic, but I'm surrounded by some pretty huge lakes that are loaded with these things.  I don't think it is feasible to wipe out zebra mussels from Lake Michigan.  This stuff might help control the pests around such things as a water intake or discharge, and it might even be effective to clean out a connecting waterway for the short term. 

 

When you consider the fact that these exotic/invasive species are mostly introduced to new waterways by humans transporting them, the real cure may be worse than any of us could accept. 

[Montanaro]

Do they sell stock?

[iceintheveins]

Maybe we can stop having stupid boat inspections and threatened closure of public lakes out here in the west if this works.

[Lund Explorer]

Do they sell stock?

 

The very first part of the "news" story stated the following:

 

"Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (MBI) (Nasdaq:MBII), a leading global provider of bio-based pest management and plant health products"

[Lund Explorer]

Maybe we can stop having stupid boat inspections and threatened closure of public lakes out here in the west if this works.

 

You have to remember that at one time, zebra mussels were nowhere to be found in the USA.  They came from European waters in the ballast of ocean going ships and were dumped here.  In Michigan, they first showed up in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.  They then moved from the Great Lakes into many smaller inland lakes either in the bilge water of recreational watercraft, or attached to the carpeting on boat trailers.  I'm sure that the pests moved into your lakes via a fishing boat or something like it.

 

In a lake that already has these things, there isn't a whole lot of reason for inspections or closures.  The horse is out of the barn so to speak, so closing the door doesn't make much sense.  If this stuff works as advertised, then I'd start to worry about increased enforcement.  Another old saying goes "Once burnt, twice learnt."  As I stated before, the cure could be worse than the symptoms.

[A-Jay]

Be very nice if this product eradicated the Asian carp at the same time . . . . .

 

A-Jay

[SudburyBasser]

Nothing is 100% effective.

[MarkH024]

Nothing is 100% effective.

nuclear bombs are

[SudburyBasser]

nuclear bombs are

 

Tsutomu Yamaguchi said you're wrong.

[WRB]

It's a perfect time to treat the few small lakes we have in SoCal that are infested with quagga mussels due to the drought the lakes are at near record low pools.
The Colorado river lakes are massive reservoirs and may not be a cost effective treatment.
Good news, thank you for sharing!
Tom

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Nothing is 100% effective.

Senkos are.

[Slade House]

Do they sell stock?

yes they do 

[Slade House]

City:

• Deephaven
• Woodland

Subwatershed:

• Lake Minnetonka Subwatershed

Project Type:

• Invasive Species (AIS) Projects

Project Status: 

Active

Current Status: 

(Updated August 26, 2014) -- Researchers will be applying the non-chemical treatment in several enclosures in Robinson's Bay, beginning the week of September 8th.

About this project: 

Zequanox is a non-chemical treatment used to kill zebra mussels, which the United States Geological Survey (USGS) tested in 2012 in a laboratory environment in northwest Minnesota.  It is now ready for testing in open water. The MCWD is providing some local assistance for the project. 

The USGS is currently testing the effectiveness of the biopesticide to control zebra mussels. Zequanox is a non-chemical treatment used to kill zebra mussels, and is currently labeled for use in enclosed industrial systems, such as power plants. The manufacturer of the product, Marrone Bio Innovations, is working to receive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval to use the product in open water.

The USGS received a grant from the state of Minnesota to study the treatment. After testing it in a lab environment in northwestern Minnesota last year, the USGS has received appropriate permission from all state and federal agencies to apply an experimental treatment of Zequanox in Lake Minnetonka.

Methods

The USGS has placed about 80 samplers in Robinson's Bay, where young zebra mussels will collect and colonize. Researchers placed the samplers in three stockpiles and marked each with a buouy that reads "submerged hazard." In August the samplers will be placed in strategic locations throughout the bay.

Test treatments is planned to begin in September. Two treatment types will be tested: Injecting Zequanox through the entire water column, and injecting Zequanox near the lake bottom, to concentrate the product on adult zebra mussels. Each treatment will be replicated multiple times throughout the bay, and each will be contained within a barrier to keep the Zequanox isolated. 

The samplers will be removed in October. 

Partners and Contractors: 

United States Geological Survey

[Slade House]

in terms of cost? yeah you better believe its gonna be expesnive (id estimate at least $300,000 to $600,000 for a 1000 acre lake) the cost of not doing it is insane.  and i know that my lake recently spend $125,000 for a new covered boat dock for the patrol boats, so its all relative. most likely there has to be grant money or government programs that will help with the cost of it.  

and there has been studies on its effect on fish and crayfish 

"These results demonstrate that Zequanox does not negatively affect these organisms at the concentration required for >80percent zebra mussel mortality (150 mg a.i/L) and the maximum allowable treatment concentration in the United Sates (200 mg a.i./L). They also show the overall species-specificity of Zequanox, and support its use in commercial facilities and open waters."   http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651314002267

 

[Lund Explorer]

yes they do 

 

Do you know anyone with an ownership interest in this company?

[J Francho]

This news pops every once in a while.  I'm against treating it with a chemical.  Plus, it's not feasible to treat all the Great Lakes and connected waterways.  What I have seen work on a couple smaller Finger Lakes is to lower the water level by 15' or so in winter.  This isn't eradication, but it controls them.  I'm not even sure they are a "bad" thing.  No one complains about EU milfoil or alewife anymore.  They've only made the fishing better.

[SuperFluke]

This news pops every once in a while.  I'm against treating it with a chemical.

 

Just keep in mind that Zequanox is not a chemical.  It's a bunch of dead bacteria that, once consumed by the zebra mussel, affects the digestive gland causing its death.

 

http://cida.usgs.gov/glri/projects/invasive_species/zm_control.html

 

While they can't treat the whole Great Lakes, they can treat native shell beds, water intakes, marinas, and other sensitive areas selectively to try to mitigate some of the damage.  Will be interesting to see what happens when some of these smaller lakes are treated completely.

[J Francho]

OK, I'll use a different word....I'm against using poison to treat them.  What does Zequanox do to native mollusks and crustaceans?  Probably kills them too.

[Mr_Scrogg]

I understand the nuisance mussels are. But arent they the #1 reason Erie is a excellent fishery now, instead of the toilet it once was?

[Bluebasser86]

This news pops every once in a while.  I'm against treating it with a chemical.  Plus, it's not feasible to treat all the Great Lakes and connected waterways.  What I have seen work on a couple smaller Finger Lakes is to lower the water level by 15' or so in winter.  This isn't eradication, but it controls them.  I'm not even sure they are a "bad" thing.  No one complains about EU milfoil or alewife anymore.  They've only made the fishing better.

One of my (and several of us from the KC area) favorite smallmouth lakes was infested with zebras not long ago. It used to produce good numbers, but the quality of the fish has skyrocketed since the mussels cleaned and cleared the water up. They're a giant pain to fish around (cost me my favorite jerkbait last weekend) but I'm not complaining when I'm catching 16" smallies that are sometimes pushing 3 pounds either. I'd love to see them controlled, just don't see any way short of draining a lake to kill all of them though. 

[Lund Explorer]

This news pops every once in a while.  I'm against treating it with a chemical.  Plus, it's not feasible to treat all the Great Lakes and connected waterways.  What I have seen work on a couple smaller Finger Lakes is to lower the water level by 15' or so in winter.  This isn't eradication, but it controls them.  I'm not even sure they are a "bad" thing.  No one complains about EU milfoil or alewife anymore.  They've only made the fishing better.

 

I don't know if you're going to have to worry about this stuff or it's effects.  It seems the company has enough troubles on dry land.

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hagens-berman-reminds-investors-in-marrone-bio-innovations-inc-of-november-4-2014-lead-plaintiff-deadline-and-expanded-class-period-2014-10-06

[GANGGREEN]

This is another one of those "be careful what you wish for" deals.  Aside from the fact that limited trials usually don't correspond to real life on a large lake, it's going to be expensive (someone has to pay for government subsidies or grants in case you weren't aware) and may have a negative impact on other native or beneficial species.  We've mucked up our environment so much that the cure is often worse than the original scourge.

[Slade House]

Do you know anyone with an ownership interest in this company?

No , i could care less about their stock, I'm just really good at using google.   See at my lake there is a 35 day quarantine because of quagga mussles.  Once your boat passes a rigourous inspection , they put a tamper proof tag on it, and then you wait 35 days. after 35 days you can launch your boat. So if I want to take my boat to any other lake, ill have to wait 35 days to launch my boat back at my lake.