As summer tourism season begins, the New Hampshire Lakes Association is reminding recreational boaters to help keep invasive species from spreading.

The association's Lake Host Program is now underway.

Volunteers will be stationed on more than 100 boat ramps to perform courtesy boat inspections and to advise boaters on how to check for and remove any material that might spread invasives to other water bodies.

Lakes Association vice president Andrea Lamoreaux says in addition to checking for invasive plants like milfoil, Lake Hosts are helping boaters watch for invasive animals.

"We're also talking to boaters now about pulling their drain plugs, so that all the water drains out, so they're not transporting water from lakes to lakes," Lamoreaux says. "The animals' larvae can hide in the water."

It's the 15th season of the Lake Host program.

Last summer Lake Hosts caught 48 fragments of invasive species on boats and trailers.