Transportation of unintended organisms (hitchhikers) in a load of baitfish can be a problem when they cross State lines; this could be a violation of the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act prohibits the importation or shipment of injurious species into or within the U.S. Efforts are being made to find compounds to eliminate hitchhikers without harming the baitfish or their shelf-life. The primary hitchhikers are crawfish, but bullfrog tadpoles are also a problem. Baitfish in this study include: golden shiner, fathead minnow, black salty, goldfish and bluegill. This study determined the 24-hour acute toxicity of bifenthrin to these baitfish in well water.
Median lethal concentration (LC50) values at 24 h were 0.19 mg/L for golden shiner, 0.14 mg/L for fathead minnow, 0.88 mg/L for goldfish, 2.85 mg/L for black salty, and 0.26 mg/L for bluegill. Timing last summer only allowed minimal preliminary studies on the toxicity of bifenthrin to crawfish, but studies next summer should define these toxicities.