Sanitizing/Cleaning
Your Fishing Equipment
to remove New Zealand Mudsnails, Whirling Disease Spores,
Didymo & other Invasive Species.
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This page
started out to address Mudsnails but has been expanded to try to cover
cleaning methods for other invasive aquatic species and recent research
I have become aware of via the web.
Colorado
now has Quagga Mussels, and Zebra Mussels as well as the New Zealand Mudsnails,
Didymo and the aqua plants Hydrilla and Eurasian Milfoil (mostly found
in still waters).
You will not find any one method of cleaning discussed any where on this
page as being universally useable in your various fishing situations. Thus
you will need to select the method that best fits your given situation.
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ALWAYS CLEAN / SANITIZE
YOUR WADING, FISHING, AND BOATING EQUIPMENT BEFORE GOING TO ANOTHER BODY
OF WATER
(We
will not know a river is contaminated until MONTHS OR YEARS after it is
infested. Thus assume that the body of water you are leaving is contaminated
with some unknown ANS, Aquatic Nuisance Species )
Best practice
advice is to treat every waterway you leave as contaminated and every
one you enter as clean. This means that in order to avoid transferring
invasive species from one river to another you should decontaminate your
gear every time you move from one body of water to the next, regardless
of what you think its infestation status is. Here is a mantra for you:
CHECK:
Before
leaving a river or lakes edge, look for clumps of algae, sand,
sediment, and remove them from your wading fishing equipment including
nets, boats, and trailers. Leave them at the site.
CLEAN:
(modified 10/03/08)
Some government
and conservation organizations are now promoting simple scrubbing and
cleaning of your equipment with water only. Preferably at home but using
water at the site is better than not cleaning. This simple cleaning
will, as they say in risk management, reduce the risk of transporting
invasive species. However, it will not kill the invasive species
so there is a chance that an invasive remains on your equipment. Many
of the invasive species have a form of their development that is microscopic
or at least very hard to distinguish with a naked eye. There does not
seem to be any studies to substantiate that cleaning with water only
signficantly reduces the risk of contamination.
Killing
the invasive species on your equipment lowers the risk of transporting
live specimens the most.
Most invasive
species are sensitive to hot water. Clean using very hot water and/
or completetly dry all materials, see sections below for recommended
methods and temperatures.
Steam or
boiling water are alternatives that may be applicable for use with boating
equipment. Several reservoirs in Colorado now have inspections stations
and high pressure hot water cleaning stations that you may required
to use. Other bodies of water you may be required to provide proof of
adequate cleaning before you can launch your watercraft.
Freezing
all of your equipment overnight is another method that works.
Most aquatic
invasive species are susceptable to complete drying ovwe an extended
period of time.
If any
of those are not reasonable then use of another set of fishing and boating
equipment that has already been cleaned and dried previously is a good
option.
Don't forget
to clean and dry your wading dog. Fur will retain these invasive species
quite easily. Especially between the the dog's toe pads. So just like
your wading equipment the recommendations are to thoroughly and completely
dry the dog out and then wait an addition 48 hours before taking the
dog to another body of water. You are responsible for your dog.
READ
THE NON-CHEMICAL METHODS LISTED FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE FOR MORE THOROUGH
DETAILS.
Chemicals
or cleaners:
Other than very hot water, freezing for extended periods or thorough
drying for several days to over a week, the only other alternative to
kill the invasive is to include chemicals in the cleaning process to
sanitize your equipment before entering another body of water.
However, there is no one chemical that has been tested to take care
of all of the invasive species to be concerned about. The use of chemicals
present issues you have to consider and figure out a personal method
to deal with it. Some of those issues are: Storage, safe transport,
keeping them away from children, limited availability of many of the
chemicals, limited applicability for a species and what is the appropriate
disposal of the chemicals. Many organizations are staying away from
recommending chemicals due to concerns of liability, limited applicability
to cover all invasive species, potential for lawsuits from any one with
a desire to, and a perceived potential of contamination of the water
ways and lands with these chemicals by indiscriminate fishermen.
My
personal view is that after cleaning then rinsing one's equipment the
amount of disinfectant transported to the stream will be very minor
and has a lot less of an impact than the snails, whirling disease, and
Didymo will have.
Read
the chemical methods listed further down the page.
DRY:
If using
only warm or cold water for your cleaning then complete drying is important
for maximum risk reduction of transferring an invasive species.
If possible,
leave your boat and gear to completely dry as an extra precaution. Many
invasive species are susceptible to desiccation from drying out.
If cleaning
is not practical, thoroughly dry all items. Materials and equipment
have to be totally dry all the way through to kill invasive microscopic
species that can penetrate deep into "soft materials." After
achieving what you think is dry then leave it to dry for at least another
48 hours before using in another water system. Felt soles, fabric and
other soft absorbent materials in clothing,boots, boats, trailers, etc.
will required longer to completely dry all the way through. Typically
a day to a week. In the case of dense soft materials like felt soles,
ropes, web strapping, and items in enclosed spaces this can require
weeks.
Read
the non-chemical methods listed further down the
page.
or FREEZE:
Freezing
over night is another good option Freezing will kill didymo, mud snails,
and many other invasive plants and animals.
Read
the non-chemical methods listed further down the
page.
DON'T
DISCARD OR RELEASE in the water-
Don't transport
live bait or game fish from one body of water to another as they can
carry disease with them or populate another body of water thus becoming
another invasive species. This is illegal in many places.
Don't discard dead fish or fish parts or use it as cut bait into a body
of water as any disease such as WD will be freely dispersed into the
water.
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Don't
rely on visual inspection.
Visual
inspection has been proven to be ineffective during the California DFG
wader equipment New Zealand Mudsnails (NZMS) cleaning test. These snails
may be no bigger than a grain of sand and actually appear to be a grain
of sand or a pebble. Note also that the young of Quagga Mussels and
Zebra Mussels are also exceedingly small. You can't depend on visual
inspection for Whirling Disease spores or Didymo either as these are
microscopic organisms. Didymo can form into very large mats of materials
but each individual entity is microscopic. The same is true of immature
(vilger) Quagga / Zebra Mussels. All of these organisms at one or more
stages of their lives freely float in the water.

NZ Mudsnails on removable
inner soles after visual inspection inside boot
photo provided by Federation of Fly Fishers
During
the CA DFG wader testing program they found that it is extremely easy
for the snails to get between the removable inner soles and the boot.
All samples even after initial inspection had at least a few left in
the boot. So, if you have removable inner soles extract them before
cleaning. This also means that even with fixed inner soles there will
be snails on the stuck in the crevices inside of your boots.
Don't
use Felt Soles?
A
number of environmental and state wildlife organizations are now discouraging
the use of Felt bottom soles due to the porous soles allowing diseases
and small organisms (such as whirling disease spores, and rock snot
diatoms) to penetrate deeply into the felt. Thus it is hard to adequately
kill the organism but at the same time the organisms can come back out
of the felt later on. Testing by the New Zealand Biosecurity has proved
this. It also has proven that many cleaning agents are not able to penetrate
deep into the material in a reasonable period of time.
Then it is also quite hard to completely rinse cleaners and disinfectants
out of the sole which then can leach out in the stream. This may or
may not be a small issue but it does give concern to government agencies
and probably causes heart palpitations to extreme environmentalist.
Certainly non-chemical options such as high heat drying and hot water
would have no environmental impacts so use them whenever possible.
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Trout
Unlimited Asks Manufacturers to Eliminate Production of Felt-Soled
Waders and Equipment by 2011
Sep
12, 2008 Press Release
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Simms
to stop production of felt soled wading boots
for it's 2010 line up of products
According
to midcurrents.com
Simm's President K.C. Walsh announced this at the September
2008 Fly Fishing Retailers Show in Denver. Mr. Walsh is quoted
as saying "We know felt is not the only material that has
spread invasive species and disease."... "But felt
is surely part of the problem. At Simms, we've decided to be
part of the solution."
Separate
research by the Whirling Disease Foundation into vectors and
sanitizing methods for Whirling Disease and New Zealand Biosecurity
research into vectors and sanitizing methods for Didymo has
shown that it is notoriously hard to remove and kill microscopic
invasive species embedded in the felt sole material.

Here is a report
about the new Vibram Sole via the Yellowstone Angler.
This Washinging
fly fishing forum thread gives some information
More threads on about boots: thread
two, thread
three, thread
four
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New
Zealand ban the use of felt soles in Oct. 2008.
This
is part of their findings with respect to Didymo:
"Relying
on ambient drying as a stand-alone treatment for decontaminating
highly absorbent risk goods such as felt-soled waders is not
recommended in situations where use between waterways is frequent
(daily, weekly or even monthly). Desiccation of D. geminata
mat fragments to a water content of less than 83% has previously
been shown to be 100% lethal, however cells kept damp and cool
(< 20 °C) can remain viable for months. Felt soles that
were dried at ambient conditions for 36 hours and were barely
wet to the touch still harboured viable cells. Drying should
only be relied upon as a decontamination treatment if great
care is taken to actively and completely dry the felt (such
as by using a heat source where temperatures around the felt
are assured of reaching 30 °C). Once the felt appears dry,
complete dryness must be confirmed by a tactile inspection of
the felt pile to the base of the fibres. Once completely dry,
items must remain dry for at least 48 hours before use in another
waterway. These findings for felt soles can be extrapolated
to other absorbent materials."
New
Zealand Biosecurity testing has demonstrated that complete penetration
of chemical solutions into felt is not achieved even after 100
minutes of saturation.
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Rubber
or Aqua stealth soles with studs is an attractive option. From
my personal experience Korker boots with the large 1/4" replacible
carbide and steel cleats mounted on a hard
rubber sole are excellent alternative due to them holding well in all
stream environments. The cleats are quite aggressive compared to many
manufacturer's stud designs. You
do have to replace the cleats at least once a season though because
they wear down. Simms has one or more boot
models that has aquastealth rubber soles and can utilize their replaceable
"Hard
bite boot studs" which have a carbide
bead welded to the screw head. Cleats and studs are destructive on boats
and float tubes though so boat owners will not permit you into there
boats with the studs on. Simms and Cloudveil will be introducing a new
sole material made by Vibram that in preliminary reports is sticker
than aquastealth with studs.
You
still need to clean your equipment, including boots, even if you use
aquastealth soles or any other type of sole. Even those listed as helping
to combat invasive species. Invasives such as Didymo and whirling disease
are microscopic and can be anywhere on your equipment. The microscopic
species can be penetrate into any webbing, foam, cloth, shoe laces,
etc. on boots and any other equipment.
Rinse
Well
to remove cleaning agents and disinfectants before reentering the water.
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Non
Chemical Methods of Cleaning
Hot water , drying, Freezing
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Hot Water Bath:
* For NZMS Give your gear a hot water bath (120 -130ºF)
for at least five minutes. Water must remain the recommended temperature
during soaking the equipment- Water in your bath tub may be able to maintain
this temperature for the required time. Your dish washer should work well
but you should check the water temperature in the dishwasher first. Multiple
cycles may be required for the recommended duration. For Didymo, Whirling
Disease and Quagga/Zebra Mussels 140ºF or higher is recommended
but duration varies.
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A
NZ Biosecurity evaluation demonstrates that Didymo can
be killed by submersion in water heated to 60ºC ( 140ºF)
for 1 minute or 20 minutes at 45ºC ( 113ºF) of
submersion. This is for none porous items that do not absorb water.
For boots with felt soles or other soft absorbent materials
it takes full submersion in hot water for 40 minutes
, at least 104ºF (40ºC). With using 5% dish
detergent in the water then you can get away with 104ºF
for 30 minutes. Note that 5% means 6.5 fluid oz. (over
3/4 cup) of dish detergent for each gallon of water. One needs
to validate the temperature of the water was maintained through
the whole process. Other soft items that absorb water will
require similar treatment. Examples of these soft items would
be leather uppers on boots etc. web straps, soft fabrics of boots,
shirts, socks
A
person can with some pain keep their hands in 104ºF water.
At 140ºF the water is too hot for the hands to remain submerged.
The
100th Meridian website says for Boats and other Recreational
equipment: "Live steam, boiling, and hot (> 140 ºF)
power washing are all believed to be effective against all zebra/quagga
mussel life stages. Work a small section at a time with a
minimum exposure of 3 min. at full heat for each area."
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Hot
water methods have been proven to be effective for killing Didymo, NZMS,
Quagga/Zebra mussels, and WD.
Here is one
way a camping fisherman says he achieves decontamination for NZMS:
"I've
found one of those Zodi portable hot shower kits (http://www.zodi.com/web-content/
) and a 5 gallon bucket makes a nice portable sterilizer without having
to carry chemicals, and lets me take a hot shower while camping. The Zodi
unit is a continuous operation heater. I just put the inlet and outlet
hose in the same bucket, turn it on and let it run. I monitor the temperature
with a cheap kitchen thermometer and once it gets up to temperature, I
leave it running for another 5 minutes to be safe then shut it down."
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Dry out the
Equipment:
The general
guidelines recommends thoroughly drying the equipment. For Didymo
many web sites recommend thoroughly drying the equipment to touch. Then
allow another 24 min but 48 hours recommended before using the equipment.
Thoroughly drying the equipment can be a lot harder than you think. Felt
soles and other soft materials (fabric, fabric straps, rope, etc.) may
take days to weeks to dry completely through the depth of the material.
A testing program by the New Zealand Biosecurity demonstrated that microsopic
organizisms readily penetrate in the interior of porous materials. You
also have to make sure all creases and crevices outside and inside the
equipment are completely dry, such as inside boots or boat bags. NZMS
have survived several days in a dry environment and 50 days on a moist
surface. Didymo also will survive if there is any moisture present
The "Protect
Your Waters" website sponsored by The national Aquatic Nuisance Species
(ANS) Task Force, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Coast Guard
recommends;" If possible, allow for 5 days of drying time before
entering new waters."
Complete drying of equipment is a method recommended by New Zealand Biosecurity
for killing Didymo on your equipment. Using heat to facilitate
the drying helps.
For
Killing Didymo, Whirling Disease -WD, Quagga/Zebra Mussels and NZMS- New
Zealand Mud Snails
Dry
Heat:
* Dry Heat will kill NZMS, and WD. Spray with "Commercial Solutions
Formula 409 Cleaner Degreaser Disinfectant" or other soap/ detergent
and let waders and boots dry in the hot sun for several hours. The air
must be low humidity and over 84 Degrees F for 24 hours or 104 Degrees
F (or higher) for 2 hours for NZMS and WD. (The reason for
the soap is because it breaks down the mucus the mud snails utilizes to
hold onto wet surfaces)
Any
residual mud must be completely dried through. Inside surfaces such in
boots and felt soles must be thoroughly dry also which typically takes
a day to several days to thoroughly dry.
For
Didymo the New Zealand Biosecurity states the following "Relying
on ambient drying as a stand-alone treatment for decontaminating highly
absorbent risk goods such as felt-soled waders and boots is not recommended
in situations where use between waterways is frequent (daily, weekly or
even monthly). Drying should only be relied upon as a decontamination
treatment if great care is taken to actively and completely dry
the felt (such as by using a heat source where temperatures around the
felt are assured of reaching 30 °C (86 °F)). Once the felt appears
dry, complete dryness must be confirmed by a tactile inspection of the
felt pile to the base of the fibers. Once completely dry, items must remain
dry for at least another 48 hours before use in another waterway."
Updated 9/22
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Felt
soles can remain wet for several weeks even in the house. The
above requires the felt to be dry all the way through the material.
To a lesser degree this will also be true of other absorbent materials
on your equipment. Laying the boots on the sides so the felt is
exposed to the air should help speed the dry time. Additional
heat may be required.
From
a New Zealand Biosecurity Study recommendations:
"Drying
should only be relied upon as a decontamination treatment if great
care is taken to actively and completely dry the felt (such as
by using a heat source where temperatures around the felt are
assured of reaching 30 °C). Once the felt appears dry, complete
dryness must be confirmed by a tactile inspection of the felt
pile to the base of the fibres. Once completely dry, items must
remain dry for at least 48 hours before use in another waterway.
These findings for felt soles can be extrapolated to other absorbent
materials."
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Freeze Equipment
Freezing
waders, boots and equipment for 4 hours minimum (for those winter die
hard addicts or those with unused freezer space). ALL The interior recesses
must be frozen, also. Additional time must be added for the recesses and
insides of boots to reach freezing as well as the thick absorbent parts
of items. Thus the best thing is to freezing all over night.
Note - handle your frozen waders and boots carefully and thaw out before
bending or unfolding. Frozen water absorbed by breathable materials, foams
and leather has the potential to crack the gear material when bending
it.
Didymo -
Freezing temperature = 0° C minimum (32° F)
NZMS - Freezing temperature = 0° C (32° F) minimum
Whirling Disease = -20° C (-4° F) minimum
Quagga/ Zebra Mussels = 0° C (32° F) minimum
This
kills Didymo, NZ mud snails, Whirling disease, Didymo, Quagga/Zebra Mussels.
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Wash your wading dog
When you take your favorite fishing buddy, your dog, with you he/she walks
in the same river bottom you do and thus can easily transport organisms
as well as you can. Therefore, before taking your pet to another body of
water you need to wash your dog with water as warm as possible and brush
it's coat. Clean well around paws. Better yet, don't take your dog to another
body of water with you for 7 days as the above method is not rock sold effective.
It is a lot of work to wash your dog.
See this section
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Methods
of Cleaning wading and fishing equipment using Chemicals
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If you are not able to comply with the above non-chemical methods of cleaning
and then freezing or drying your equipment recommended by a growing number
of governmental agencies and conservation oriented organizations then you
are forced to use a chemical solution for decontamination to maximize reduction
of risk potential for moving invasive animals and plants from one location
to another. |
The
following is a short outline for "immersion", "dry bag"
and "spray" methods one could use with chemicals. More detailed
steps for the three methods can be found by clicking on the link in each
section below. This information is from the California DFG report on cleaning
wading equipment. As an alternative, you can pull up the
CA DFG report; the step by step cleaning procedures begin on page 35
of the report.
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Immersion Method
(detailed instructions):

Using a stiff
brush and water remove dirt, mud and other debris from boots/soles (take
out removable inner soles), waders, wading staff, and net.
Use one of the solutions below.
Immerse equipment in a bucket of solution (3 to 5 gallons will be needed)
keeping entire surfaces and crevices covered with solution (for NZMS
CA DFG test indicates 5 minutes. However, follow up testing in California
and another test at CO DOW shows 10 minutes minimum required).
Using a stiff brush wipe off all particulate.
Rinse into a building drain that goes to a water treatment facility.
Do NOT rinse into river or lake or storm water drain. For
copper sulfate see the copper sulfate section.
Besides getting
buckets with lids at Home Improvement stores you can get used buckets,
like the ones in the picture, with lids from restaurants. Things like
pickles come in them and the restaurant is generally more than willing
to part with empty containers. Two buckets will be more convenient as
you can keep both a sanitizing bucket and a rinse bucket in your garage.
Also, a weight may be needed to keep waders immersed in solution. I use
a old barbell for the weight. I have a cord tied to the barbell so that
I can pull it back out of the solution bucket.
This humorous
story explains one way to clean your waders.
(a CA DFG and CO DOW recommendation)
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Or
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Dry Bag Method
(detailed instructions):

Using a
stiff brush and water remove dirt, mud and other debris from boots (take
out removable inner soles), waders, wading staff, and net.
Add 8 to 10 liters (roughly 2-2.5 gal) of one of the solutions below to
a "river runner dry bag" after you have put the waders and boots
in. Shake and roll it around for 30 seconds and let it sit for 5 minutes
minimum. Then shake 30 seconds again. Repeat. Using a stiff brush brush
off all particulate. Rinse into a building drain that goes to a
water treatment facility. Do NOT rinse into river or lake
or storm water drain. For copper sulfate see the copper
sulfate section
(a CA DFG test result)
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Or
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Spray Method
(detailed instructions):
Using a stiff brush and water remove dirt, mud and other debris from boots
(take out removable inner soles), waders and wading staff. Spray all surfaces
including top and undersides of gravel guards. Snails easily get on the
insides of boots so drown the inside surfaces liberally. Keep all surfaces
wet with solution for at least 5 minutes. Rinse the solution off
your equipment. Do NOT rinse into river or lake or storm
water drain or sewers.
This
method has tested adequate only for NZMS using copper sulfate Solution-(
see this page). It has been tested
adequate for Didymo using 0.12% benzalkonium chloride solution but not
for felt soles or neoprene, or soft absorbent fabric of boots. From the
New Zealand test results showing that chemical penetration into felt soles.
( see here also )
(Follow
up testing by the Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly
Fishers has been shown spraying Formula 409 Disinfectant solution on equipment
is NOT
effective for killing all snails. So don't rely
on spraying it on)
(From CA
DFG Test results)
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Chemical
Solutions
for use with
the above cleaning methods
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Most of the
following chemicals are not universally available in any given locale.
Neither are you likely to find any one method of cleaning discussed on
this page as being universally useable in your various fishing situations.
Thus you will need to select the chemical and/or method that best fits
your given situation.
Products
containing biocides or algaecides are registered for certain uses. When
one uses it for another purpose or beyond the product specifications it
is against the law.
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Formula 409
with Degreaser & Disinfectant - a "Commercial Solutions "
product :
****
ALERT ****
The only Formula 409® Product tested for effectiveness against
NZMS and be safe for boots and waders is
"Commercial Solutions Formula 409® Cleaner Degreaser
Disinfectant"
It can be found in some stores. Not grocery stores, though.
The only other Formula 409 products with the same disinfectant
in it is:
"Formula 409® All Purpose Cleaner Antibacterial
Kitchen Lemon Fresh"
available in many locations but probably in small containers
that you may find inconvenient.
"Formula
409® All Purpose Cleaner Antibacterial "
is a new product with the same Antibacterial compound now
available in some locations such as Costco and this one comes
in large 1.4 Gallon containers.
Most Formula 409 products do not have a disinfectant / antibacterial
in it. The disinfectant or antibacterial is what will kill the
snails. Note that Clorox brand cleaners with disinfect contain
chlorine as the disinfectant. See the chlorine section for info
about chlorine.
More
information & what to look for on the label
Other
types of Formula 409, as well as other cleaning fluids with surfactants
and detergents, are helpful in that it would force the snail to
loosen it's hold on the surface it is hanging on to so that the
cleaning processes can wash them off. But it would do little to
kill any. Thus it is, by far, best if you use the formulations
listed above for loosening the snails hold plus killing them.
Other cleaning fluids formulations may damage wading equipment.
* More effective and efficient methods are listed in following
sections *
the
Webguy
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Soaking in 100% Formula 409 Antibacterial/Disinfectant
products for 10 minutes required
Note
- since this report is not released and the Ca DFG test program,
which is a released document, demonstrated that the 50/50 Mixture
for 5 minutes is still a recommendation in most websites addressing
NZMS.
Jan
4, 2008
I have seen a draft of a Colorado DOW testing report demonstrating
that a 50% solution of Formula 409® Disinfectant is inadequate
at killing all New Zealand Mudsnails. Undiluted Formula 409®
disinfectant / Antibacterial products are required.
Thus the prior recommendation of a 50% solution is no longer recommended
here.
The 50/50 recommendation came from a California Department of Fish
and Game study where snails were evaluated after 24 hours. The Colorado
Department of Fish and Game recently did another study in which
they also evaluated the NZMS 56 days after exposure. It found that
there were live snails with a 50% solution of Formula 409 but virtually
all were dead in the 100% Formula 409. The exposure time had to
be 10 minutes as 5 minutes was inadequate at either concentration.
The same Formula 409 product used in the California tests was used
in the Colorado tests. The only other product tested was Sparquat
256 which also was effective for killing the snails. At full strength
it may be very difficult to rinse out the clothing, felt soles etc.
When the report becomes available in its released form I will post
the report.
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Formula
409® products which contain Disinfectant
or Antibacterial are the only correct
409 products to use. The product straight from the bottle is best but
most places still recommend a 50% solution. The 409 product must have
a disinfectant / antibacterial in the product for it to kill the snails.
See the full
name of the products below.
Both products
can be kept and reused a number of times. However, the disinfectant is
susceptible to being neutralized by organ material such as dirt and grass
thus remove as much as reasonable before soaking.
Spray application is unacceptable for this product.
This solution is deemed safe for your waders and boots though some visual
aberrations may show. A number of other household cleaners were tested
but they affected integrity of wading equipment. Long
term Impacts of many fisherman wading with this chemical on their boots
has not been studied. Thus rinse your wading equipment well, especially
felt soles.
The
disinfectant in these two Formula 409 products is a quat, Quaternary Ammonium
Compound, A test at U.C. Davis has demonstrated the quat in Formula 409
kills the WD spores in 10 minutes at 1500 PPM (50/50 mixture
of Formula 409 Disinfectant). I have not located any validation that Formula
409 will kill Didymo however New Zealand Biosecurity testing of another
product that contains the same quat does kill Didymo.
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This
solution has been tested for New Zealand Mudsnails and Whirling
Disease Only. It has been recommended by some states to kill didymo.
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Use
only
"Commercial Solutions Formula 409® Cleaner Degreaser Disinfectant"
or
"Formula
409® All Purpose Cleaner Antibacterial
Kitchen Lemon Fresh"
Where
to Buy It
+ picture of the bottle
(A CA
DFG test result ; CO
DOW recommendation)
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Copper
Sulfate Solution
(252 mg/L Cu) -
Immersion
and Dry bag methods work. Another option for this solution which maybe
handy on a multiple day traveling trip is to use the spray
application for 5 minutes minimum. Copper Sulfate solution
is the only tested solution proven to be effective at killing
NZMS when sprayed on to the equipment.
Some brands of Copper Sulfate are registered in Colorado as herbicide
and algaecide. Probably would kill invasive weeds like hydrilla and algae
like Didymo on your wading equipment. Solution can be kept and reused
many times.
This solution is deemed safe for your waders and boots. (CA DFG test Result)
Long term impacts of many fisherman wading with this chemical on their
boots has not been studied. Thus rinse your wading equipment well, especially
felt soles.
Look
here for Where to Buy it,
Mix Ratio table & Important info
This
method has been proven to be effective for killing NZMS. Copper sulfate
will kill Quagga/Zebra Mussels- concentration and duration period unknown.
Not data for WD. Copper sulfate kills Didymo. Copper sulfate has commonly
been used for many years to kill algae in lakes ponds, and canals. I suspect
that soaking in tub would increase it's effectiveness but penetration
all the way into felt soles may be a problem just like it is with all
other chemical solutions. The use of detergents with it should improve
the penetration since detergents have surfactants.
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Copper
Sulfate Pentahydrate Crystal is commonly sold at Hardware stores
under various brand names as a root killer for sewers. Typically
the instructions call for dumping 2 lb. of crystal into the commode.
Some Farm and Ranch stores carry 50 LB bags of Copper Sulfate.
In the western US, where there are many mines, some rivers are listed
as impaired waterways due to high copper content. The state of Colorado
has several rivers listed as such (The Arkansas, Colorado, Clear
Creek, South Platte, Gunnison Rivers). Copper is hard to remove
from the water supply to maintain compliance with federal regulations.
Plus most water treatment plants rely on biological processing to
treat waste water before releasing the water back into the river.
High copper content can kill the biological organisms in the treatment
plant. Biocides and algaecides such as quats can also cause the
same problem.
To
help avoid the potential of exceeding copper content limits some
municipalities discourage the use of high concentration copper based
compounds such as copper sulfate pentahydrate. For the same reason
some municipalities have stopped using copper sulfate in lakes and
reservoirs to kill algae. It is recommended that you keep this in
mind when disposing of rinse water and unused solution. Contact
your local government regarding regulations.
Golden
Colorado
asks city Vendors for voluntary compliance to keep copper sulfate
pentahydrate root killer off their shelves since in a number of
years past the City had exceeded copper content limits in their
fresh water and waste water. The city no longer uses copper sulfate
in it's water storage reservoirs to control algae and weeds.
West Denver Trout Unlimited recommends not dumping Copper sulfate
into rivers, ponds, lakes, storm drains or sewers.
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(a
CA
DFG test result)
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Sparquat 256 by
Spartan Chemical Co. (4-6 oz. / gal water):
Sparquat 256 has been proven by the CO DOW to be more effective
than CS Formula 409 Cleaner Degreaser Disinfectant
-After brushing
off mud and sand with a stiff brush soak the equipment in the solution
for at least 10 minutes, and preferably 15 minutes. Agitate solution around
boots and equipment while soaking.
This chemical has been used for a number of years by the Colorado DOW
to sanitize equipment after Whirling Disease exposure. This product
contains quaternary ammonium compounds (quat). There are a number of other
quat products on the market that probably will work but have not been
tested for effectiveness to kill the snail and be safe for waders.
Since the DOW has been using it for several years on their wading and
test equipment equipment this solution appears to be safe for your wading
equipment. It can be used a number of times. However, the disinfectant
is susceptible to organic material such as dirt and grass neutralizing
it. Thus remove as much dirt etc. as reasonable before soaking. Long term
Impacts of many fisherman wading with this chemical on their boots has
not been studied. Thus rinse your wading equipment well, especially felt
soles.
Solutions
of quats can be used over several days if not diluted.
Per Forest
Service 2008 Guidance for firefighters:
4.0 liquid
oz per gallon of water for Whirling Disease - 10 to 15 minutes soak time.
4.3 liquid oz per gallon of water for NZMS - 10 minutes exposure.
1.7 liquid oz per gallon of water for Didymo - 1 minute exposure
No data for Quagga Mussels
(
Click to see where to
get this product and
more info about quats & Whirling Disease )
This
method has been proven to be effective for killing New Zealand Mud snails
-NZMS, and whirling disease - WD. Based on other tested quats assumed
effective for Didymo. Not data for Quagga/Zebra Mussels but likely to
be effective.
(a Colorado
DOW management plan alternative)( This germicide was not tested in
the CA DFG test)
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Benzethonium Chloride Solution (1940 mg/Liter)
Use this solution in the immersion or dry bag methods listed above.
Sources for products that contain this Quaternary Ammonium Compound
(quat) are limited. Long term Impacts of many fisherman wading with
this chemical on their boots has not been studied. Thus rinse your wading
equipment well, especially felt soles.
This solution is deemed safe for your wading equipment. (a CA
DFG test result)
The Whirling Disease Initiative says that quats are effective for killing
both forms of the Whirling Disease parasite. Proven effective for
WD and NZMS. Effects on Didymo has not been studied. This chemical
and Sparquat 256 are both quats.
Solutions
of quats should be replaced ever 2 or 3 days if not diluted.
See
this page for more details and "where to buy" info
This method has been proven to be effective
for NZMS and WD. Quats kill Didymo and Quagga/Zebra Mussels but concentration,
soak duration and efficacy is unknown.
(a CA
DFG test result)
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Uncle
Jacks Didymo Killer:
Uncle Jacks
is not available in the US. This has benzalkonium chloride a common quatenary
ammonium compound used as one of a number of chemicals in various cleaning
products at varying concentrations. Benzlkonium chloride is used as a
biocide and surfactant. New Zealand Biosecurity used Uncle
Jacks Didymo Killer which contains 3% Benzalkonium chloride. For spray
application at full strength it kills Didymo in one minute. It
also kills in one minute when items are submerged in a 4% solution of
Uncle Jacks and water ( 0.12% benzalkonium chloride). Benzalkonium chloride
is also known as alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride and ADBAC. Formula
409 Disinfectant/Antibacterial formulations also contain this quat but
at a much lower concentration, 0.3% concentration.
This
has been proven effective for Didymo. Untested for NZMS, Quagga/Zebra
Mussel and whirling disease but other quats should be effective also though
the required concentrations need to be calculated
As
with all the other chemicals, Quatenary Ammonium compounds in solution
by them selves are not effective at soaking deep into felt soles.
Even after a 100 minutes. This may also be a problem with other porous
materials in one's equipment such as fabrics used in boots. Thus the
equipment may not be decontaminated from microscopic organisms such
as Didymo and WD. - from NZ Biosecurity test data
Some cleaners with quat compounds may have additional detergents,
wetting agents and surfactants that may help the penetration but they
have not been tested. |
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Quat 128®
(mix ratio = 6.4 liquid oz. per gallon of water)
This chemical may or may not have been tested but it has the same quat
as Sparquat 256. Just like Sparquat 256 this chemical, Quat 128, should
be able to be found at some Janitorial or Hospital supply companies. This
would be applicable to controlling Whirling disease and NZMS. The manufacturer
is Buckeye
International - (a Forest Service Interim Guidance for 2008 Fire Operations
option)
per Forest
Service 2008 Guidance for Fire Fighters:
6.1 liquid
oz per gallon of water for Whirling Disease - 10 to 15 minutes soak time.
6.4 liquid oz per gallon of water for NZMS - 10 minutes exposure.
2.4 liquid oz per gallon of water for Didymo - 1 minute exposure
No data for Quagga Mussels
This
method has been proven to be effective for Didymo, NZMS and WD. Not data
for Quagga/Zebra Mussels but likely to be effective.
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Bioguard
Algaecide 28-40® (40% ADBAC mix Ratio = unknown)
This is a pool cleaning chemical but it is not listed on the manufacturer's
web site so it may not be available any more. There are other pool algaecides
out there that also contain the same quat as Sparquat 256 germicide. This
algaecide has the quat Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride.
This
method has been proven to be effective to kill NZMS and WD. Not data for
killing Didymo or Quagga/ Zebra Mussels.
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Bleach
(which contains 3.5% Sodium hypochlorite - NaClO)- A solution of household
bleach is NO LONGER recommended for NZMS. The 2005
CA DFG testing report demonstrated bleach is very ineffective at killing
snails when it's operculum is closed. (Trap door kind of thing the snail
closes over it's opening). A solution of bleach may cause some discoloration.
Strong concentrations can affect wading equipment material integrity.
However, a weak 2-10% solution of bleach (by Volume) is still effective
for killing other invasive species such as Whirling Disease (10%
bleach by volume solution soaking the item for 10 minutes), Didymo
(2% by volume solution soaking the item for at least 1 minute -longer
for items or parts of items that absorb water), and Zebra Mussels.
Thus you will still see it promoted on many state wildlife websites and
the "Protect
Your Waters" website.
10% solutions
= Put 13 fluid oz. in pail then add water to the 1 gallon mark.
2% solution = Put 3 fluid oz in pail then add water to the 1 gallon mark.
Bleach solutions
break down quickly. They should be replaced daily per The New Zealand
Biosecurity test reports. More often if heavily used.
As
with all the other chemicals, bleach solutions are not effective at
soaking deep into felt soles. Even after a 100 minutes. This may also
be a problem with other porous materials in one's equipment such as
fabrics used in boots. Thus the equipment may not be decontaminated
from microscopic organisms such as Didymo and WD. - from NZ Biosecurity
test data
Some cleaners with quat compounds may have additional detergents,
wetting agents and surfactants that may help the penetration but they
have not been tested. |
Not
effective for killing New Zealand Mudsnails.
This method will kill Didymo, WD, Quagga/Zebra Mussels.
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Grapefruit seed extract
Failed the CA DFG NZMS test.
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Table
Salt (sodium chloride)
Table Salt and water has been proven by the CA DFG to be 100% ineffective
at killing NZMS. The Colorado DOW says it will not kill
Quagga and Zebra mussels. It has not been tested on Whirling Disease.
The New Zealand Biosecurity lists a 5% salt solution by volume
(6.5 fluid oz. per gal water) as being effective against Didymo.
Items must be submerged for 1 minute minimum. Absorbent materials such
as cloth, leather, and foam require a lot longer submersion times.
This
method has been proven to be effective for killing Didymo. It is ineffective
on NZMS, Quagga/Zebra mussels. Unknown for WD.
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Potassium
Chloride(200
PPM KCL)-
An effective mussel-killing (Quagga / Zebra Mussels) remedy that
works on both adults and veligers is a 200 parts per million solution
of potassium chloride (KCL). You can make this solution by thoroughly
mixing one teaspoon of dry KCL crystals in 2 gallons of water. You can
add the KCL solution to your empty ballast tanks after draining them to
treat the small amount of leftover water that typically does not drain
all the way out.
However, it is harmless to other aquatic organism and humans. It also
has extremely low corrosion characteristics and has been used in the oil
well drilling industry for decades. Potassium chloride crystals is commonly
available as a water softener at many home improvement stores and hardware
stores. Morton Salt Company is one supplier who offers KCL, potasium chloride
in 40 pound bags.
·
IMPORTANT! - Do Not Use any other kind of salt solution.
Table salt which is used for seasoning food, Sodium Chloride (NaCL),
will not kill zebra and quagga mussels.
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Nappy
Cleaner
-
A nappy is an Australian/English term for baby diaper. Thus nappy cleaner
is a diaper cleaning solution. An 5% solution of nappy cleaner has been
shown to be effective for killing Didymo. The one tested was an
Australian product which appears to be available here in the US at select
locations, called Napisan,
Napi
San.
A 5% solution
is made by mixing 50 ml of product with water added to make 1
Liter (1000 ml) total.
Nappy Cleaner
should be changed every two or three days and more often with heavy usage
or heavily soiled. The cleaner starts to slowly break down as soon as
it it is mixed with water.
The active
ingredient is sodium percarbonate (2Na2CO3 · 3H20), an oxidizer;
Napisan contains 25.7% sodium percarbonate. Oxy Clean reportedly has the
same active ingredient but the amount relative to Napisan is not stated.
Information
is from NIWA Project: MAF06506 (2006/2007) for New Zealand Biosecurity.
Sodium Percarbonate
will readily dissolve in water to form hydrogen peroxide. Zebra mussels
are sensitive to hydrogen peroxide however the concentration level to
insure elimination has not been established.
This
method NOT tested on NZMS, WD, Quagga/Zebra
Mussels
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Pure Vinegar
Soaking in pure vinegar is reported as being effective for
Quagga / Zebra mussels. Required Soak time varies from source to source
as; 20 minutes to 4 hours minimum but 24 hours recommended. Vinegar has
not been tested for effectiveness on NZMS or Whirling Disease.
The New Zealand Biosecurity does not recommend this for Didymo. It takes
a pH of 4 or less to kill Didymo. Acetic acid, vinegar, has a slightly
lower pH of 3. However any wetness will dilute the vinegar quick to where
the pH will rise past 4. Thus Biosecurity does not recommend the use of
vinegar.
This
method NOT tested on NZMS,and WD. Not recommended for
Didymo.
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Dish detergent,
A 2-5%
solution will kill Didymo. For 1 minute soak time of non-adsorbing
materials 5% is required which would be 6.5 oz (a little more than 3/4
cup of detergent) for each gallon of water. A 2% solution requires 10
minutes soak time. Longer for absorbent materials. Palmolive and Sunlight
were used in the New Zealand tests. Green products are less
effective and not recommended for disinfecting. Dish detergent does not
work for NZMS and appears to not have been tested or is ineffective
on WD, and mussels.
Though soap
will not kill New Zealand Mudsnails it will help to release them
from the surface they cling to. Thus washing them off of your equipment
will be easier. But if you don't kill the invasive then you are leaving
the possibility of the invasive remaining in your equipment crevices and
recesses.
This
method has been proven to be effective for Didymo. I have no data for
WD, Quagga/ Zebra Mussels. Does not work for NZMS.
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Below
are
** Other Cleaning Methods **
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Boats, rafts, and trailer hygiene:
The Colorado DOWs boat / trailer inspection and cleaning recommendations
for Quagga / Zebra mussels are
found here. These cleaning procedures will work for other invasive
species also. The some of the inspections are specific to the mussels.
Several literature sources now say that most home sprayers
and retail self serve spray car washers do not provide hot enough water.
The
100th Meridian website says for Boats and other Recreational equipment:
"Live steam, boiling, and hot (> 140 ºF) power washing are
all believed to be effective against all zebra/quagga mussel life
stages. Work a small section at a time with a minimum exposure of 3 min
at full heat for each area."
Excellent Video on Inspecting
and cleaning your boat
NZ
Whitewater Canoe Club Recommendations
Also see www.protectyourwaters.net
(CO
DOW NZMS management plan)
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Wash your wading dog
When you take your dog fishing with you he/she walks in the same river bottom
you do and thus can easily transport organisms as well as you can. Thus
before taking your pet to another body of water you need to wash your dog
with water as warm as possible and brush it's coat. Clean well around paws.
Better yet, don't take your dog for another week as the above method is
not rock sold effective.
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The
"Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!" campaign empowers recreational users
to become part of the solution in stopping the transport and spread of
these harmful hitchhikers. The main sponsors of this national program
are The national Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force, the US Fish
and Wildlife Service and the US Coast Guard.

The
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers website has some general prevention procedures
for preventing the spread of invasive species. Though they are very good
procedures to follow just remember they are general procedures trying
to covering many potential threats. Parts of the general procedures are
inadequate in that they are not positive controls for protection against
New Zealand Mudsnails and/or Whirling Disease since they do not kill the
invasive. Review the information about vinegar, dish detergent, and salt
water solutions discussed above.
General
Prevention Procedures for Aquatic Invasive species http://protectyourwaters.org/prevention/prevention_generic.php
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Read these questions and answers dealing with concerns raised about cleaning
our wading equipment
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