Zequanox Achieves 100% Mortality For Invasive Mussels In Minnesota Lake 2024

Slade House reply : 

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.

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Bluebasser86 reply : 

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.

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Lund Explorer reply : 

  On 10/5/2014 at 2:02 PM, Slade House said:

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. 

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Montanaro reply : 

Do they sell stock?

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iceintheveins reply : 

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

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Lund Explorer reply : 

  On 10/5/2014 at 9:19 PM, Montanaro said:

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"

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Lund Explorer reply : 

  On 10/5/2014 at 9:27 PM, iceintheveins said:

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.

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A-Jay reply : 

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

 

A-Jay

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SudburyBasser reply : 

Nothing is 100% effective.

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MarkH024 reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 12:53 AM, SudburyBasser said:

Nothing is 100% effective.

nuclear bombs are

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SudburyBasser reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 1:19 AM, MarkH024 said:

nuclear bombs are

 

Tsutomu Yamaguchi said you're wrong.

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WRB reply : 

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

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OntarioFishingGuy reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 12:53 AM, SudburyBasser said:

Nothing is 100% effective.

Senkos are.

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Slade House reply : 

  On 10/5/2014 at 9:19 PM, Montanaro said:

Do they sell stock?

yes they do 

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Slade House reply : 

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Slade House reply : 

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 

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Lund Explorer reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 4:48 PM, Slade House said:

yes they do 

 

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

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J Francho reply : 

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.

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SuperFluke reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 10:04 PM, J Francho said:

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.

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J Francho reply : 

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.

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Mr_Scrogg reply : 

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?

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Bluebasser86 reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 10:04 PM, J Francho said:

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. 

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Lund Explorer reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 10:04 PM, J Francho said:

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

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GANGGREEN reply : 

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.

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Slade House reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 8:52 PM, Lund Explorer said:

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.  

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Slade House reply : 

  On 10/7/2014 at 5:44 PM, Lund Explorer said:

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

I have my masters degree in accounting.   they were accused of not having enough internal controls and improperly recognizing revenue.  Not a huge deal and it happens.  Revenue recongition is tricky , especially for a chemical company. 

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Slade House reply : 

  On 10/7/2014 at 12:29 AM, SuperFluke said:

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.

That's the most important fact, that this isn't a chemical.  iTs a naturally occuring bacteria they have reproduced.  

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ww2farmer reply : 

  On 10/6/2014 at 10:04 PM, J Francho said:

  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'm with you. In fact almost every invasive around here has done exactly the opposite of what the "experts" claim. Milfoil, alewives, gobys, zebes, have all helped.

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deaknh03 reply : 

http://m.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/249354851.html

good deal

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Lund Explorer reply : 

  On 10/7/2014 at 6:20 PM, Slade House said:

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.  

 

Sorry if it sounded like I was accusing you of being their company's CEO, but all of your postings looked like they came right from their marketing dept.  I personally like to get an independent view of most matters.

 

I'm also sorry that your favorite lake is so restricted.  I don't think I would have the patience to waste over an entire month just to fish any one lake.

 

  On 10/7/2014 at 6:24 PM, Slade House said:

I have my masters degree in accounting.   they were accused of not having enough internal controls and improperly recognizing revenue.  Not a huge deal and it happens.  Revenue recongition is tricky , especially for a chemical company. 

 

As a retired accountant with over 30 years of practice serving the retail community, I'm somewhat aware of the requirements of both the manufacturing sector and publically traded companies.  When I first pulled up the company in my own Google search, I noticed that the stock's value was on a steady downward trend since the spring.  With an IPO price of $12 in August of last year, a high water mark in the high teens has been followed by drop down to just over $3 per/share, before the announcement that an internal audit raised questions about what income was being reported.   A 3/4 drop in value before any such public airing of its accounting problems leads me to believe that the investors were having second thoughts about the company. 

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slonezp reply : 

  On 10/7/2014 at 9:18 AM, Mr_Scrogg said:

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?

I agree they have cleaned up our Great Lakes. The issue, at least here in Chicago is the money it costs to keep the water intakes free of the zebra mussels.

 

The fish have adapted. The mussels filter the water, the goby's diet consist mainly of the mussel(except during the spawn when they prefer fish eggs), and the bass, perch, and brown trout have grown to record sizes as the result of goby consumption. 

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J Francho reply : 

  On 10/7/2014 at 8:00 PM, Lund Explorer said:

Sorry if it sounded like I was accusing you of being their company's CEO, but all of your postings looked like they came right from their marketing dept.  I personally like to get an independent view of most matters.

 

I'm also sorry that your favorite lake is so restricted.  I don't think I would have the patience to waste over an entire month just to fish any one lake.

 

 

As a retired accountant with over 30 years of practice serving the retail community, I'm somewhat aware of the requirements of both the manufacturing sector and publically traded companies.  When I first pulled up the company in my own Google search, I noticed that the stock's value was on a steady downward trend since the spring.  With an IPO price of $12 in August of last year, a high water mark in the high teens has been followed by drop down to just over $3 per/share, before the announcement that an internal audit raised questions about what income was being reported.   A 3/4 drop in value before any such public airing of its accounting problems leads me to believe that the investors were having second thoughts about the company. 

 

I don't think he's in any way connected with the company, though I cannot locate any certifications or bona fides that support the accounting degree.  If you like dnb music, do a search -some cool stuff, Slade. 

 

That doesn't really mean anything other than I see no reason to doubt his own personal stake in a product that will help his specific situation.  I'd say lobbying local lawmakers with FACTS about revenue from fishing, studies showing positive benefits to fisheries that are dealing with zebes and quagga, etc., to change the current policy is a better plan than an experimental poison from a company with it's business under the SEC's scrutiny.

 

Anyway, due diligence has been done, and as usual, just another fisherman like you and me.

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