Gams are in creeks in Kansas? Kansas gets hard water in the winter right? Do gams survive harsh winters? I don't know if any bodies of water in SW MI have gams in them naturally and I'm wondering why?
I found this article from the MI DNR online:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Fisheries Technical Report 2003-2, 2003
An Assessment of the Potential Use of Gambusia
for Mosquito Control in Michigan
Robert C. Haas, Michael V. Thomas
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station
33135 South River Road
Harrison Township, MI 48045
and
Gary L. Towns
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Erie Management Unit
38980 Seven Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48152-1006
Abstract.-We reviewed scientific literature and made management recommendations
regarding future introduction of non-native fish species, in the genus Gambusia, for the intended
purpose of controlling pest mosquitoes in Michigan. Gambusia are small, highly aggressive fish
native to the southern United States that have been stocked in nearly every state. They are very
predaceous and will consume small prey animals causing serious environmental damage. A
number of scientific studies in the U.S. and across the world found that introduced Gambusia had
negative effects on native invertebrates, fish, and amphibians. Gambusia stocked in small
Michigan ponds as recently as the late 1970s failed to establish self-sustaining populations.
However, a warming climate would likely increase the ability of Gambusia to overwinter in
Michigan. We followed the American Fisheries Society, Policy Statement for Introduction of
Aquatic Species to determine that the introduction of Gambusia into Michigan waters would have
negative impacts on existing aquatic communities and fisheries, with little or no mosquito control.
We recommend that Gambusia not be used for mosquito control or otherwise be introduced into
the waters of Michigan. Instead, we should protect and enhance the quality of Michigan's
waterways so that native fishes thrive and naturally constrain mosquito populations. Many native
Michigan fish will readily consume mosquito larvae, so if stocking fish is required, we encourage
stocking of native fishes, such as the fathead minnow. We also suggest alternative mosquito
control methods including an educational campaign to inform people of how to reduce man-made
mosquito breeding areas.
Introduction
We have reviewed the scientific literature
dealing with the use of two, very similar species
of non-native fishes in the genus Gambusia
(commonly known as mosquitofish), for the
intended purpose of controlling pest mosquito
populations. This report summarizes our
findings and presents recommendations on how
we think the State of Michigan should approach
this issue. Gambusia are small, harmlesslooking,
guppy-like fish. They are not native to
Michigan and, although introduced here in the
past, are not known to exist at this time in the
wild (see Michigan Dept. Natural Resources
publication "Names of Michigan Fishes",
revised October, 2002).
Two species of Gambusia are native to the
middle and southern portions of the United
States and neither species was originally found
in Michigan (Figure 1, top map). Gambusia
holbrooki is native to Atlantic and Gulf
drainages as far west as Alabama, and north to
Maryland and Illinois. Gambusia affinis
originally ranged from Louisiana to New
Mexico, and north to Kansas and Missouri. The
two species are difficult to distinguish by
external morphology, and were long considered
subspecies of Gambusia affinis. Wooten et al
(1988) provided the genetic basis for the
designation of two discrete species. For the
remainder of this paper, the generic name,
Gambusia, will be used to refer to both species
collectively.
Introducing an exotic organism carries a
substantial risk to the environment and its
natural inhabitants. In many areas of the world,
where Gambusia have been planted for
mosquito control, they have caused serious
environmental damage including harming or
eliminating native fishes and amphibians, and
disrupting natural aquatic food chains. Their
traditional common name, "mosquitofish", has
apparently been misleading to the non-scientific
public because these fish have a popular
reputation for successful control of mosquito
populations. Our review of the scientific,
peer-reviewed literature shows that Gambusia have
not provided effective mosquito control in any
natural setting, despite being introduced for that
purpose in many parts of the world (including
most of the Northern and Western U. S.
