Owners and operators of boats and other watercraft should take care not to transport quagga mussels on crafts and trailers. The state Department of Fish and Game recommends the following:

* Inspect all exposed surfaces visually and by hand. Tiny mussels attached to hulls and other surfaces feel like sandpaper when rubbed.

* Wash the hulls of watercraft thoroughly under high pressure, using hot water. Remove all plant and animal material.

* Drain all water and dry all areas, including the lower outboard unit, and clean and dry all live-well compartments.

* Empty and dry all buckets. Throw all leftover bait into the trash.

* Wait five days before launching into different fresh waters, keeping watercraft dry.

* Cooperate with vessel inspections.