DETROIT, Michigan – The Motor City is freaking out about crawfish and – if you can believe it – officials are asking people not to eat ones they find in yards!

“Invasive red swamp crayfish (they're called crawfish, okay?) have been found in two Michigan locations,” media outlets reported this week with a warning from the state's nature department. The crawfish were found in a grassy area of a park and in shallow areas of a lake, prompting concern from the state of Michigan's Department of Natural Resources.

     > CLICK HERE to see the report from Michigan 

The DNR said they are “a serious concern because of their ability to damage earthen structures and the threats they pose to the environment.”

Crawfish are labeled as “invasive” in Michigan.

The state said the crawfish likely got to Michigan by someone who brought them from Louisiana or another Gulf state where crawfish are popular foods. Somehow, a live one got loose and the “invasive species...spread.” 

“Red swamp crayfish are a prohibited species in Michigan, which means it is unlawful to possess, introduce, import, sell or offer them for sale as a live organism, except in special circumstances, including providing specimens to the DNR for identification,” a Michigan official said in a statement.

Michigan said it has launched an investigation and a containment plan and asked people to help… but not the way we would.

“Residents and visitors ... are asked to try to capture any red swamp (crawfish) they find and place them in a container in the freezer, then report the location of the find to the DNR,” the state said.

Or, send them to us and we'll boil 'em! 

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