Zebra Mussels Found in East Spirit Lake

East Spirit Lake is the latest body of Minnesota water to have zebra mussels.

They are invasive, but what impact do they really have?

Zebra mussels, an invasive series.

Some people understand the species’ environmental impact.

To families like the Langers, that phrase sounds like pre–scripted jargon.

We know that zebra mussels can spread from one body of water to another.

“What we’ve heard and stuff is they’re not good and they stick to everything and of course no one wants them,” Wayne Langer, who owns property on the lake with his wife, Maureen, said.

But what exactly makes zebra mussels so threatening?

“People with boats moving from lake to lake are supposed to check the bottom of their boats to see if they’re any zebra mussels attached,” Maureen said.

The animals eat tiny food particles in the water, taking food supply from other animals.

And those boats in the water that zebra mussels like to attach to?

That’s how they got here in the first place.

The animals, native to Eastern Europe and Russia, also slow down boat efficiency and performance by attaching to boat engines and hulls.

If fish food supply doesn’t matter to you, maybe the impact on your boat will.

They also can clog water intakes and can even clog buoys and docks with their weight.

But despite their admitting lack of knowledge on zebra mussels, that doesn’t stop the Langers from wanting the species out of the lake behind their property.

The DNR has been using pesticides to treat zebra mussels since 2000.

The DNR says about five percent of Minnesota’s lakes are infested with the species.