Invasive species found hiding in this aquarium product in North Carolina, officials say

North Carolina has joined the list of states warning consumers an invasive species may be hiding in a common product sold at pet stores.

The creature, known as the zebra mussel, has been found across the country in containers of moss balls, a product used to clean aquariums.

In an update shared Friday afternoon, state officials said the mussels had been found in products sold at a PetSmart in Burlington. Two products were involved: Marimo Moss Ball Plant Grab & Go and Mini Marimo Moss Balls, officials said.

PetSmart and Petco are now removing the product from their shelves, state officials said.

Anyone who recently bought moss balls is asked to discard the product “immediately,” the state Wildlife Resources Commission said in a news release.

Discarding them includes “placing them in a plastic bag and freezing them overnight, boiling them or soaking them overnight in a bleach solution,” the commission said.

Whatever you do, don’t flush the moss balls down the toilet, experts say.

“It is likely that retail outlets that sell the moss balls may be unaware that they are potentially selling a contaminated product with an invasive species,” the news release said. “Not only are zebra mussels harmful to other aquatic wildlife, they can also clog water pipes and restrict water supplies.”

The moss balls originated in the Ukraine and have been shipped via a California distributor to stores nationwide in the past three months, officials said. All shipments have been stopped since the contamination was found.

Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming issued warnings about the product this week, with Utah and Wyoming reporting contaminated moss had been found at more than one shop. Oregon officials identified the brand as “Betta Buddy Marimo Ball.”

“It is widely believed that the packaging may be branded in several different ways,” the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission said Friday. “In an abundance of caution, anyone who has purchased any moss balls in the past month are urged to follow the instructions in the press release below about how to properly destroy them and clean their aquariums. Retailers who stock this product should remove it from their shelves immediately.”

State wildlife agents intend to visit “every retail pet store in the state” to warn them about the contamination and how to deal with it, the release said.

Wildlife experts warn zebra mussels “can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems” if they find their way into local waters.

The moss ball is a type of green algae that is rolled up and “purchased for home aquariums to help absorb harmful nutrients in the water and limit the growth of undesirable algae,” N.C. officials said.

“The Wildlife Commission has led a concerted effort to keep the species out of the state because of both the negative ecological and commercial impacts,” state fisheries biologist Todd Ewing said in the release. “It’s actually illegal to possess zebra mussels in North Carolina.”

Anyone who already started using the product should empty their aquarium and clean it with “a bleach solution and let it set for at least one hour before disposing the water.” Also disinfect the gravel, all decorative structures and the filter, officials say.