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3. NZ Mud Snails in PA

Bad news for those who fish Spring Creek:

http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2013/10/invading_new_zealand_musnails_discovered_in_spring_creek_near_beaver_stadium.html

By the way, 409 is not necessarily effective.

http://www.stopans.org/Formula_409.htm

6 hours in the freezer will kill them for sure.

Please share this info. with others who fish Spring Creek.

if it's all the same, i'll still use 409 to get the schmutz off, and then freeze. guess a brisk brushing wouldn't hurt either.

a couple of practical questions: do we dry before freezing? what happens to Gor-Tex and its cousins if we try to unfold it before it thaws out?

thanks, Louis. i'd always thought the germicidal stuff in 409 would do the trick...apparently not!

Hi Casey, When I've frozen boots, I just made sure to thaw them fully before trying to move anything. I think it could weaken or break the fabric otherwise. Drying things out beforehand would probably reduce potential damage. I haven't frozen waders, yet. The last time I was worried about them for didymo I let them dry for well over a month (during the summer) and used a different pair. When I fished out west once where mud snails were I just used an old pair of wading shoes and threw them away when I finished up. Now I'll probably be freezing things more.

What next?!

Thanks for posting this Louis.

Spence

Thanks for the information on how to treat your gear to kill the invader. Why didn't you provide info on how to get rid of the person(s) who brought them here. Now you can add NZ mud snails to the hundreds of other invasive species that are infesting the trout waters of the United States.

Boots aren't the only problem. Neoprene booties and even the wader legs themselves can get infected with the spoor of invasive species. They need to be disinfected as well. Don't know why this isn't mentioned more. The cat is out of the bag in too many places now, but perhaps to protect the remaining, out of state licensees should be required to rent local wading gear?