Zebra Mussels

One of the biggest concerns that we have on Lake Minnetonka is Zebra Mussels. These creatures, who were originally from rivers in Russia, have now been introduced to our waterways here in North America. They are becoming a big problem for us here in Lake Minnetonka. The discovery of Zebra Mussels was in 2010 and since then have now been found on all 125 miles of shoreline.

These fingernail sized mussels are an annoyance for those people who live, work, and play on the lake. The mussels are known for their razor sharp shells that will cut into the bottom of your foot. The other hassle that they are causing is they attach to things. Things like intake hoses to water your lawn, or pipes that draw water out of the lake to fill fire hydrants. 

When they attach, you can't just swat them off. They have a group of strong filaments coming out of their shells that allow them to more strongly attach to anything that they desire. Once one layer attaches, then another layer forms over top. The layers can keep building to fully block an intake pipe. To remove them, a team of divers must go down and scrape away at them with metal brushes. 

They can also do damage to your boat if they are left alone to colonize on the bottom. It is become such a problem that the DNR has officers at boat launching ramps inspecting boats going in the water. If you boat is found to have Zebra Mussels, you could be slapped with a a $500 fine. Save your time and your money, we are a certified decontamination center. Call us and let us help you remove the mussels.