Pa. Fish and Boat Commission warns of invasive mudsnails in Cumberland County waters
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The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission on Thursday reported on social media that the invasive New Zealand mudsnail has been found in several popular southcentral Pennsylvania trout streams, including those in Cumberland County.
The commission said the mudsnails were found in Trindle Spring Run, Big Spring Creek and LeTort Spring Run in Cumberland County, as well as the Codorus Trophy Trout Area in York County.
According to the commission, the snails measure less than a quarter inch and have dark, narrow, coiled shells with deep grooves. They rapidly multiply and compete with native species for space and food, which has the potential to decrease the food supply for fish in the stream, according to the commission.
The snails are often found on rocks and vegetation, and they can attach themselves to fishing gear, boats and other equipment, which poses an issue of spreading the invasive species to other waters.
The commission suggests that anglers, boaters, swimmers and tubers take the appropriate amount of caution to check and make sure they aren’t helping the mudsnails reach other streams. Residents are asked to check their clothing, nets and tackle, shoes or boots, fishing vets and fishing rod, reel and line for the snails. Any clinging matter should be removed and disposed of in the trash.
The commission said there are three methods that have proven effective in killing the invasive snails. Gear can be frozen for a minimum of six hours, or gear can be soaked in hot water (120 degrees to 140 degrees) for five minutes, though this is not recommended for Gore-Tex products.
Gear can also be soaked for five minutes in a 1-to-1 solution of Formula 409 Cleaner Degreaser Disinfectant and water, and gear can be rinsed afterward with plain water. The commission notes that simply spraying the gear with the disinfectant or mixture will not work. General cleaners, including other 409 products, have also shown not to be effective against the snails, according to the commission.