Invasive Species Corp launches Zequanox 2.0 for invasive mussel control

Invasive Species Corporation has unveiled Zequanox 2.0, a new set of biological mussel-control formulations it wants partners to test in the field. The company says the product is designed to make treatment easier and cheaper as zebra, quagga and golden mussels spread across U.S. waterways.

Why it matters: - Invasive mussels have caused billions of dollars in damage, clogged water infrastructure and spread into new regions, making faster and more precise treatment a growing priority. - Golden mussels are expanding quickly in California, where water districts and farmers are already facing major costs. - The new Zequanox 2.0 formulations are designed to make biological control easier to deploy in the kinds of systems most at risk.

What happened: - Invasive Species Corporation announced Zequanox 2.0 on October 14, 2026, in Davis, California. - The company opened the product for field demonstrations and partner testing. - Zequanox 2.0 comes in two new formulations: water-dispersible granules and sinkable, slow-release tablets. - The active ingredient remains Pseudomonas fluorescens (CL145A), the EPA-registered ingredient used in earlier Zequanox products.

The details: - The water-dispersible granules require no pre-mixing and dissolve immediately. - The granules are designed for contained systems, canals and managed water infrastructure. - The tablets are meant to be spread like grass seed, sink to the bottom and dissolve slowly. - The tablet format is intended to deliver treatment directly to adult and veliger mussel colonies. - Target settings include open-water plots, marinas, reservoirs, tanks, pipelines, intakes, irrigation systems and pumping facilities. - ISC says Zequanox has more than 10 years of proven zebra and quagga mussel control. - ISC says earlier formulations produced mortality comparable to higher-risk chemical treatments, with shorter treatment times. - ISC says lab studies on golden mussels showed 100% mortality, though with longer treatment times than for zebra and quagga mussels. - ISC is submitting the EPA registration package for Zequanox 2.0. - The WDG and tablet formulations are available now for field trials. - Trials must follow applicable permits and regulations and stay under one acre unless conducted under an EPA Experimental Use Permit. - ISC is offering a technical briefing package covering mode of action, approved uses, treatment options, published research, and dosing, mixing and monitoring guidance.

Between the lines: - The announcement signals a shift from broad eradication goals toward targeted management of established infestations. - Amit Vasavada, ISC's chief science officer, said the focus is now on protecting critical habitat, keeping water infrastructure running and stopping mussels from becoming permanently established in newly infested waters. - The new formats appear aimed at overcoming the biggest barriers to adoption: handling, mixing, delivery to the bottom and cost at scale. - ISC is also positioning the product as a lower-risk alternative to copper and other control technologies in comparative studies.

What's next: - ISC plans outdoor field trials to measure mortality, dose and exposure requirements, product dissolution and water-quality effects. - The company is seeking partners among aquatic invasive species programs, state and federal agencies, researchers and water operators in the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River Basin, California and beyond. - Demonstrations will include open-water evaluations, closed-system tests, comparative studies and monitoring partnerships. - ISC says it will help select sites, set objectives, build monitoring protocols, coordinate permits, run demonstrations and review results.

The bottom line: - Zequanox 2.0 is ISC's push to turn a proven biological treatment into a more practical tool for large-scale invasive mussel control.