Crayfish plague

Stop the spread of crayfish plague - Find out more.

Disinfect your traps

The greatest threat to our native white-clawed crayfish comes from a fungal disease called crayfish plague. This is carried by the non-native signal crayfish that now dominate many English and Welsh waters. If you are trapping signal crayfish or have been fishing in infected waters, be very careful. Clean and disinfect your equipment properly. It is very easy to spread this disease.

General advice

You only need to disinfect traps and other fishing equipment if you’re going to use them somewhere else. If you always use them in the same water there is no risk of spreading crayfish plague.

Disinfection methods

There are a number of ways of disinfecting traps. But the first step is always to remove all mud and plant matter.

Sun drying

Dry your equipment thoroughly in sunlight. This is the safest and most effective method. Make sure that you air all the surfaces of the trap and that the trap is completely dry.

Chemical disinfection – iodophors

You can buy iodophors from agricultural suppliers as udder wash. Make sure you dilute the mixture in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Either immerse the traps in the solution or spray on. Leave for at least 15 minutes before rinsing with plenty of water. Your equipment is now ready for re-use.

Important: Dispose of chemicals responsibly! Don’t let the waste chemicals enter surface water drains. Also, iodophors go off rapidly in sunlight: store them in a dark place. Iodophors should be dark brown. Once it loses this colour, it will no longer work properly and you need to replace it.