RALEIGH, NC (FOX Carolina) – On Friday, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission issued a consumer alert for a plant product sold at aquarium and pet supply stores.
According to N.C. Wildlife’s Todd Ewing, pet stores across the state of North Carolina have been selling moss balls that are contaminated with an invasive species called Zebra Mussels.
Ewing said the Zebra mussel can cause a lot of major problems.
“Zebra mussels can quickly take over once they get established in a waterbody and cause significant damage including disrupting the food chain, changing the chemistry of the water (which can cause more blue green algae outbreaks or offensive taste), and clogging water intake and delivery systems. The concern is that live mussels released into a storm drain or flushed could be introduced into a waterway,” the organization said in a news release.
N.C. Wildlife said to destroy these moth balls by freezing them for at least 24 hours, boiling for at least one full minute or putting the moss ball in bleach for 20 minutes.
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