SURREY Wildlife Trust is calling for help to halt the spread of ‘demon shrimp’ in the River Wey and other invasive species across the county, as part of Invasive Species Month.

Native to the Caspian Sea region, the demon shrimp has made its way across Europe’s canal network, arriving in the UK back in 2012.

Despite its diminutive size - roughly equivalent to a small fingernail - the demon shrimp is a voracious predator, unlike the native freshwater shrimp, and will kill a range of native species including young fish and other aquatic invertebrates such as mayfly larvae.

It was found living in the Godalming Navigations in 2014, but after further investigations by Surrey Wildlife Trust, the eastern European intruder has now been discovered in the adjoining River Wey.

Kick samples have been taken, finding that the shrimp had replaced the native shrimp in the Wey and a number of other aquatic invertebrates held a low count.

The trust’s team of RiverSearch volunteers are monitoring the area closely to try and find out how far upstream these ‘demons’ have spread.

They are yet to be found in the Farnham area, but the Surrey Wildlife Trust is desperate to halt their advance and is enlisting the help of river users.

If using the river for angling, canoeing or merely paddling, apply these three basic rules:

• Check your equipment and clothing for live organisms, particularly in areas that are damp or hard to inspect.

• Clean and wash all equipment, footwear and clothing thoroughly. If you do come across any organisms, leave them at the water body where you found them.

• Dry all equipment and clothing - some species can live for many days in moist conditions. Make sure you don’t transfer water elsewhere.

The Surrey Wildlife Trust is joining forces with environment organisations, local authorities and volunteer groups across the county for a month-long campaign to tackle the war against problem pests that are threatening the county’s environment.

“Invasive Species Month is all about creating awareness in local communities about what the issues are and how best to eradicate these problem pests,” said Glen Skelton, Surrey Wildlife Trust’s RiverSearch co-ordinator.

“One area’s invasive species soon become another’s by travelling along our rivers, roads and rail networks.

“We want to create a network of community groups across the whole of Surrey which systematically tackle the ever increasing presence of some of these invasive species along our rivers and wetlands.

“We hope that by collaborating with groups on a county scale, we stand some chance of getting on top of this problem.”

Surrey has more than its fair share of invasive species and here are the trust’s top five most wanted alien invaders:

• Mink - American mink escaped from UK fur farms in the 1950s and quickly became established in the wild. These active predators kill many of our native wild creatures, including the water vole, which is now extinct in Surrey.

• Signal crayfish – introduced to the UK in 1976 and now present in many of Surrey’s waterways. This North American invader is a voracious predator, feeding on fish, frogs, invertebrates and plants. As a carrier of crayfish plague, the signal crayfish is a major threat to our smaller native white clawed species.

• Himalayan balsam – Tall pink flowering plant introduced to the UK in 1839 and now a familiar sight on Surrey’s waterways. It smothers smaller native plants and its roots can erode riverbanks. Each plant produces almost 1,000 seeds, which explode out into the water, spreading.

• Quagga mussel - this freshwater mollusc spreads rapidly and will smother and kill native mussels, block water pipes and foul boat hulls. Originating from south east Europe, the mussels have been found in the River Wraysbury in Staines.

Find your nearest work party by visiting www.surreywildlifetrust.org/invasive-species-month-2017. If you belong to a community group and would like to run a task with your group to eradicate an invasive species in your area, contact Glen by emailing: [email protected]