crayfish

[nightshade]

Does anyone have crayfish in their pond? i tried with two red signaller (american import) crayfish which we called the Crays.they plodded gamely around the pond which is well supplied with natural food and supplemented with the odd dead(bought)fish,then they just disappeared dragging the pond brought no evidence of demise anyone any ideas?

[John]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Does anyone have crayfish in their pond? i tried with two red signaller (american import) crayfish which we called the Crays.they plodded gamely around the pond which is well supplied with natural food and supplemented with the odd dead(bought)fish,then they just disappeared dragging the pond brought no evidence of demise anyone any ideas?

Have you a river system nearby?

This is an introduced species that has caused havoc with our native crayfish especially around rivers like the Kennet. Hopefully they haven't disappeared into you local system.

[Jo Pedder]

one of the reasons signal crayfish have been such a probelem is their ability to disperse - they simply upped and left the fish farms which had been set up to harvest them from and have spread widely because they can cross quite a distance over land. I suggest that The Crays just wondered off in search of a bigger pond or stream.

[Kayleigh]

You should never put crayfish into a pond. They carry a plague that kills our native species. They also eat all our native fish eggs and fry. They should be sold with a licence and strict instructions to be kept indooors at all times. In fact they should NOT BE SOLD in this country
It's not your fault you should have been warned when you got them.

They are in all the water courses around northants.

[John]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

You should never put crayfish into a pond. They carry a plague that kills our native species. They also eat all our native fish eggs and fry. They should be sold with a licence and strict instructions to be kept indooors at all times. In fact they should NOT BE SOLD in this country
It's not your fault you should have been warned when you got them.

They are in all the water courses around northants.

Spot on with your comments Kayleigh. They should never have been released in the first place and with all the knowledge we have now it it is vital that they are recognised for what they are, death for our native species.

John

[Fourwings]

I echo everyone else's comments.

I'm affraid that those two nasty little monsters have gone walkabouts in search of better waters, to be honset you'd have been far better off putting them in the pot and eating them.

American Signal crayfish will decimate a water course once they enter it, they will destroy the native crayfish and unbalance the entire ecosystem within that body of water.
They entered our local stream 8 years ago and ruined it completely, no native crayfish,and hardly any fish left as the signals also wreak havoc with the invertebrate life.
They also do untold damage to the banks by burrowing deep into them causing them to collapse or become far more vulnerable to errosion.

[Helen]

Why are they sold here in the UK? Are permits needed? Can anyone purchase them?

[Kayleigh]

I have just found out it is illegal to release anything none native to the UK. But when irrresponsible pet/aquatic shops sell these things this will keep happening. just like the American bull frog is killing our native one. And the fish on another thread. I hate to think what our wildlife will be like in 10 years time maybe allot will be extinct.

[Kayleigh]

Insidently the cray fish make very good eating. they are like a cross between a large prawn and a small lobster. They were bought in for food but most escaped.
I am going to start angling again and catch a few for the BBQ from the local pond where people are told to kill them but keep them in a bucket. I can't think of any better way to dispose of them.

[nightshade]

I do not think that the crays got far,there are two main roads to negotiate
and some very hungry heron