Animals Spreading Invasive Species?

[leechlake]

the other day I was driving to the cabin with the dogs and a few times I stopped and let them swim because of the heat. The last stop was the Crow River and when my golden got out of the water he had some weeds stuck to him that I could see which prompted me to think he also had some vegetation on him I couldn't see.

As I drove I pondered all of the ducks, geese, loons, and sea gulls that on a daily basis spread things from lake to lake.

While cleaning your trailer off is potentially a help to spreading aquatic species I wonder peoples thoughts on the natural spreading of some of these species via nature vs man. How much mill foil can stick to a birds legs and feathers and be transported to the next body of water?

[magnum mike]

I have grown weary of all the debates and complaining about the state's attempt to stop the spread of invasives. While I truly believe their heart is in the right place, they have gone overboard (like they usually do) with the policies and regulations. If a person has vegitation hanging off a trailer, he deserves to be fined. Livewells SHOULD be drained. Bilge plugs and bait containers is over the top in my opinion.

IT CAN'T BE STOPPED! Education is the key. We can take efforts to slow the spread and we all should. The standard DNR thought process of "We need to do something even if it's wrong" has been in place for years and will likely continue for years to come.

[mallardnwalleye]

Except for Asian Carp, which would take stocking for lakes to have them and is unstoppable in rivers except for dams or high falls. What are all these enourmous risks with invasives? No one has answered this.

Enjoy your dog and the public waters before they clamp down on it all. The money that is being wasted inspecting, the limitations on access and the waste of over treating weeds is mind boggling in it's over-reaction. It looks like invasives are the new "boogeyman" in town.

I think the heat wave and associated flexibacter columnaris bacteria does more damage than invasives. It just doesn't have the marketing appeal that "INVASIVES" have.

[reinhard1]

here are two invasive risks. one a very proven one "sea lampreys" and the other risk is VHS virus. one is controlled and the other is a huge threat. good luck.

[mallardnwalleye]

here are two invasive risks. one a very proven one "sea lampreys" and the other risk is VHS virus. one is controlled and the other is a huge threat. good luck.

Sea Lampereys were devestating to lakers I agree. Not so much anymore. We allowed them to come through the Soo Locks and then had to control them when they spawned. We didn't close launches as the lamperey did there thing after the "genie in the bottle got let out" and it was a matter of controling the lampery and not people and their access.

VHS-From what I have looked up there are a couple die offs in lakes .( St. Clair, Budd Lake MI, Lake Erie) and then the lakes come right back. The overall fishery of Lake Erie was not affected. The overwhelming majority of lakes that are "infected" don't have any die off.

Please show me the immense and permanent devistaion from VHS. No one has so far. I see fish die off each year from water temp changes and bacteria so what makes VHS a quantum leap different. I didn't and don't see the sky falling in OH,WI or MI from VHS so why should I expect it to fall here.

VHS is transfered from fish not boats so unless someone has bait that is infected or moves fish I just can't see the need for all the invasives hype.

Unless you really really really limit access you won't slow the spread of invasives.

Sometimes the medicine (limiting access) is worse than the disease.

I do what I am supposed to and can to limit the spread of AIS, but at some point you have to ask yourself if all the new hype, money and limitations are worth it.

[Gordie]

Another thing that will spread this stuff is mother nature herself imagine if you will what will come of things with all the recent flooding we have had.

As for the spread by animals I was talking with a friend from NoDak about this and he said you know it's spread by animals, birds and the like when you see some of these swamps/ ponds ten mile from no where in the middle of a bean field that's got milfoil and curly pond leaf in it and it's showing up more and more .

[kelly-p]

Quote:

VHS is transfered from fish not boats so unless someone has bait that is infected or moves fish I just can't see the need for all the invasives hype.

VHS can live for at least 14 days in the WATER without being on a fish.

In your bilge water or bait bucket water.

Quote:

How VHS spreads and environmental factors

Infected fish shed the virus in their urine and reproductive fluids. The virus can survive in water for at least 14 days. Virus particles in the water infect gill tissue first, and then move to the internal organs and the blood vessels. The blood vessels become weak, causing hemorrhages in the internal organs, muscle and skin. Fish can also be infected when they eat an infected fish. Fish that survive the infection will develop antibodies to the virus. Antibodies will protect the fish against new VHS virus infections for some time. However, the concentration of antibodies in the fish will drop over time and the fish may start shedding virus again. This may create a cycle of fish kills that occurs on a regular basis.

The virus grows best in fish when water temperatures are 37-54°F. Most infected fish will die when water temperatures are 37- 41°F, and rarely die above 59 °F. Stress is an important factor in VHS outbreaks. Stress suppresses the immune system, causing infected fish to become diseased. Stressors include spawning hormones, poor water quality, lack of food, or excessive handling of fish.

[Finlander]

With the current heat, don't know how anything can survive any length of time. Any metal heats up over 120 degrees when exposed to the sun.

[itchmesir]

Another thing that will spread this stuff is mother nature herself imagine if you will what will come of things with all the recent flooding we have had.

As for the spread by animals I was talking with a friend from NoDak about this and he said you know it's spread by animals, birds and the like when you see some of these swamps/ ponds ten mile from no where in the middle of a bean field that's got milfoil and curly pond leaf in it and it's showing up more and more .

This was one of the big arguments that brought the felt ban in Montana to a halt.. there are a lot more animals out there constantly stepping in and out of multitude of streams and lakes than there are fishermen.. no way you can't say their fur is not carrying/spreading invasives with every step they make

But when you look at it.. Bears have been the cause of death to many of humans.. and humans have been the death of many of humans.. does that mean we should stop enforcing murder because bears kill people too?

[TruthWalleyes]

While cleaning your trailer off is potentially a help to spreading aquatic species I wonder peoples thoughts on the natural spreading of some of these species via nature vs man. How much mill foil can stick to a birds legs and feathers and be transported to the next body of water?

Birds and nature DO NOT transfer Invasive species...Only lazy, ignorant boaters do by not pulling their plugs and not pulling weeds off of their trailers.

Sherriff followed me from the Hwy to the landing yesterday. I verified his plug was out, he verified mine was out Had a nice chat.

[CJH]

Another thing that will spread this stuff is mother nature herself imagine if you will what will come of things with all the recent flooding we have had.

As for the spread by animals I was talking with a friend from NoDak about this and he said you know it's spread by animals, birds and the like when you see some of these swamps/ ponds ten mile from no where in the middle of a bean field that's got milfoil and curly pond leaf in it and it's showing up more and more .

This.

[James_R]

I guess that would explain those gravel pits in MN with no boat ramps that are now infected with AIS. Deer, Elk and cattle routinely disperse invasive weed seeds through their feces so I don't see why this would be so far fetched.

[Friar_Tuck]

no doubt turtles from zeeb infested waters could travel to another water source with them stuck to their shells etc...

[Wabamskee]

Or fur...Its a bit far fetched to assume that an animal's fur has never caught milfoil/fleas/etc

[bwa]

There is a small lake down the road from me that has no boat access & is filled with curley leaf pondweed.