Fewer crayfish?

[Anderoo]

I've noticed a big difference in crayfish numbers this year, there appears to be a lot fewer than previous years. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Chris Plumb]

Not especially. Kennet & Avon Canal is as bad as it ever was. Kennet has maybe got a bit better but then tens of thousands are now taken out every year by trappers - not made much difference to numbers - though average sizes are well down - un like on the canal where you still get some mini-lobsters snaffling your bait! Most of my club lakes are also trapped on a regular basis - tis a losing battle though....

 

C.

[chesters1]

Still about the same figures coming out down my pond

Strange creatures "mine" dont like stinky fish of any type but go mad for pilchards ,fresh dead course fish take a couple of days to start bringing in numbers of crays i presume the smell is similar the the pond water itself so takes longer to get noticed.

Dry cat food works well but my sister gave me a bag of dry dog food her dog refused to eat and strangely the crays did as well.

They like certain spots in the pond you will get lots in place x but ten feet away few ,i presume theres some nook or two on the bottom they cherish ,remove them all from there and a couple of crayless nights and they are back in numbers

 

Perhaps the numbers of small ones appear to rise is the commercial trappers are chucking back the small crays to grow on ,their generally in it for money (the small ones can be used for animal food or fertilizer but its not lucrative as selling to overseas or london resturants is)unlike myself on behalf of the club ,were supposed to be getting a trapper from oxford doing all the waters but the petrol and time costs will be large so i will monitor him with interest

Edited January 25, 2015 by chesters1

[BobH]

Certainly not, the Relief Channel is full of them !!

 

Bob

[Anderoo]

Thought as much, strange, even using cheesepaste this year I haven't had a single one... I wonder why?

[chesters1]

Thought as much, strange, even using cheesepaste this year I haven't had a single one... I wonder why?

They can suddenly die we noticed lots at one lake had all (not all the crayfish but a number of crayfish i presume) come out of the lake and died in one spot ,certainly not caught by traps and released as they were unmarked ,i presume they caught some disease or something or got confused came out of the water and died ,not seen it since

There were several hundred and the pong was noticeable from the reeds ,the ones seen were burned but lots were out of reach

Must have smelt strange the resident foxes obviously avoided them but could eat a 100 or so of dead ones overnight where i disposed of them after freezing to death

Edited January 25, 2015 by chesters1

[Chris Plumb]

They can suddenly die we noticed lots at one lake had all (not all the crayfish but a number of crayfish i presume) come out of the lake and died in one spot ,certainly not caught by traps and released as they were unmarked ,i presume they caught some disease or something or got confused came out of the water and died ,not seen it since

There were several hundred and the pong was noticeable from the reeds ,the ones seen where burn but lots were out of reach

Same thing happened on one of our river sections last year - hundreds of crayfish dead on the bank - for no apparent reason...

 

C.

[chesters1]

Same thing happened on one of our river sections last year - hundreds of crayfish dead on the bank - for no apparent reason...

 

C.

Swings and roundabouts or perhaps some genetically modified white claw death regiment getting revenge Lol

Strange thing though they can stay out of the water for days if they keep moist ,perhaps they are like crabs and make bubbles and breath that way?

If they are well known to migrate overland then they must have caught something in the lake ,crawled out and died rather than died because they crawled out of the water

Edited January 25, 2015 by chesters1

[Anderoo]

Interesting. I haven't seen any dead ones, but you never know.

[Chris Plumb]

You'd think it might be a worthwhile line of research to find a way to eradicate the blighters...

 

C.