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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160931
Title: THE LATEST ON POND SHORELINE TREATMENTS FOR SNAILS.

Author
item Mitchell, Andrew
item WISE, DAVID - MSU

Submitted to: The Catfish Journal
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/6/2004
Publication Date: 3/1/2004
Citation: Mitchell, A.J., Wise, D. 2004. The latest on pond shoreline treatments for snails. The Catfish Journal. v. 18 (7). p. 21-22.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Two chemicals (hydrated lime and copper sulfate) applied along the margins of a pond have been shown to reduce snail populations (snails vector trematode parasites that can seriously impact the health of cultured fish species) within the pond. Only sparse information on the hydrated lime treatments has been published and a comparison of the two chemical treatments has not been made. Snail survival following copper sulfate treatments (10 lbs/250 linear ft along the pond margins in a 6 ft width) in 12 ponds averaged 3.2% at treatment temperatures of 21 to 35°C. Hydrated lime treatments (80 to 94 lbs/100 linear ft in about a 3 ft application width) greatly reduced snail numbers from 10-500 to 0-5 snails per sampling site and reduced the severity of Bolbophorus trematode infection from severe to mild or uninfected. Copper sulfate applied at the rate given above appeared to be more effective in side-by-side comparisons than hydrated lime applied at 80 lbs/100 ft of pond margin in a 6 ft swath in four separate trials with two replicates per treatment per trial. Both treatments, compared under conditions that varied in temperature, wind speed, and control survival, effectively reduced snail numbers; control snail survival averaged 81.0%, hydrated lime 26.0%, and copper sulfate 12.0%. In a single trial (not compared with copper sulfate) with three replicates, hydrated lime applied at a rate of 186 lbs/100 ft in a 6 ft swath was found to be very effective (1.3% snail survival compared to 77.2% control snail survival). The copper sulfate at the rate previously given and hydrated lime at 93 lbs/100 ft applied in a 3 ft swath, a more practical rate, need to be compared.