Controlling those ~*#+@!% Spiders Inside the Cabin!

Sea Wolf

I know about and use "Bounce" fabric softener pads for some nuisance pest control inside the boat cabin, but still have problems with spiders (specifically "daddy longlegs", continually, on a weekly basis.

We don't have to deal with mice,. since we're stored on the water or at home in the RV Barn (we have cats), but the spiders at the lake make for a weekly cleaning up that gets annoying.

Does anyone know of anything that can keep these guys from building webs and creating niches for themselves?

They're all over the outside of the boat, and that's enough trouble in itself for weekly cleaning. I used to just clean up the webs, but they rebuild the webs with a couple of hours or so, so the best solution seems to be a vacuum cleaner that just sucks both them and their webs into another world.

I'm thinking that something like mothballs (paradichlorobenzene and/or orthodichlorobenzene ) might keep them out of the cabin and kill any that enter. I know it's take a few minutes to air out the cabin after opening, and that the mothballs will have to be contained in a container that can be sealed while the boat is occupied.

I am a little concerned that some folks fear that mothballs may be mildly carcinogenic, but no specific link has been proven so far.

Has anyone tried this or know of a better solution to spider control?

We've never had a moth invasion, but keep our foodstuffs sealed tightly.

Joe. Teeth

TyBoo · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:52 am Post subject:

Chivita · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:58 am Post subject:

Move North about two thousand miles!

Won't have to worry about snakes either!!

Just stay along the coast, start going towards the interior and the damn 'squitos will suck ya dry....

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:07 am Post subject:

Mike-

The "Bounce" fabric softeners repell rats, mice, many bugs and insects from boats. They are used a lot during winter lay-up in climates where boats are stored for a significant part of the year. People put them in closests, drawers, under seats, in storage areas, etc. They probably have to to renewed yearly to keep their effectiveness because the active ingredient that has the side effect of repelling pests, evaporates in time. Come to think of it, I'm due to replace mine!

Here's a thread about Bounce from a few years back Wildlife Invasion

Here's an article or two on spider control I found:

Spider Infestation On My Boat

How To Kill Spiders

Joe. Teeth

breausaw · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:26 am Post subject:

I would try a No-Pest strip, it kill just about everything.

Hang it up in the cabin when you’re gone and Zip-it or put it on deck when you’re using the cabin.

No-Pest strip

Dreamer · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:04 pm Post subject:

Joe,

The best advice I ever got regarding insects of any kind was to get some Demand CS . I get it from DoYourOwnPestControl.com
It's so safe you can use it inside but I spray the perimeter of the house and I'm sure it would work on the boat. I have a dead zone around the house. The only bugs you see are dead! My basement and house have zero spiders or any other kind of insect. No smell, no problem, lasts 3 months. Good luck.

BrentB · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject:

Glue boxes are inexpensive and work well.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:31 am Post subject:

Thanks, guys, lots of good advice here!

I did order the No-Pest Strip, and will get some
Demand CS.

I'll hang the No-Pest Strip inside the boat and spray the outside with Demand CS for starters. The glue boxes can be set in the window corners inside where they love the three sided corners because it's so much easier to build webs there.

We'll put an end to those blankety-blank characters!

Thanks, Jay, Roger, and Brent!

Joe Twisted Evil

Doryman · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:37 am Post subject:

What do you guys recommend for rats? We (along with most other waterfronts) have a sizeable rat population.

Warren

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:52 am Post subject:

Warren- I fortunately don't have the rat problem, but if I did, I'd

1. get some Frisbie's and drill a hole in them and put them on my dock lines. (An old trick that still works.)

2. Build some bait boxes and hide them under the dock nearby where they wouldn't cause a controversy, and bait them with d-con rat poison. Make the entrance hole small enough that only rats and mice can get in. I wouldn't use it on my boat, because the rats could wander away to die in some unreachable space within the hull, bilge, etc.

3. If I had one or a nest on my boat, I'd have to resort to a rat trap, placing somewhere it could be retrieved fairly easily.

4. If that fails, get out the 12 gauge. Just be sure any holes you make are above the waterline. You have that expensive, total coverage insurance, right?

Actually, we do have mammal "pests" at our marina and specifically under my dock finger. I have a family of river otters that live in the hollowed out styrofoam in the dock structure. Their only nuisance is their droppings on the dock, which can be pretty disgusting, so I have a water pump to wash things down.

Mostly they're pretty shy, but I've been braiding an anchor rope to a chain and had one walk (or waddle, really) right next to me, and see them often. Cute creatures, they always look like they're having so much fun! Sometimes I wonder if in my next reincarnation I'd rather be a pelican or a river otter. Tough choice, if there is such a thing.

Cheers!

Joe. Teeth

Give me a call and I'll come over and take care of your rats!!!

Doryman · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:13 am Post subject:

Actually, I was referring to rats in my neighborhood, not on my boat. (I live about 1 lot from the nearest water and 2 blocks from my slip.) Fortunately no rats on the boats, that I know of. The rat problem was worse when people fed birds and the rats came to dinner. There is not as much bird-feeding now but there are still some rats.

Warren

BrentB · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:17 am Post subject:

Rats are a public health issue and you should contact your local HD. Rats should be trapped with baited traps and breeding sites eliminated. Rubbish and trash serves as a habitat and food source and needs to cleaned up. It takes a loog time and constant attention so work with and assist your PH officials.
m2cw

drjohn71a · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:19 am Post subject:

Joe,

There are many ways to control spiders and rats. I searched the internet about spiders and boats and found a great number of products out there.

First, as to rats or mice entering vehicles, boats, etc., there is a treated lubricant spray - I believe it is "Mouse Out" or something similar which was originally designed to keep pests out of airplane hydraulic line installations since they chew them up pretty badly. Farmers and motorhome users use it to keep mice from climbing into the equipment wreaking havoc on the expensive tractor or RV lines. It has the moth ball smell and mice do not want to cross it. The moth ball chemical is quite hazardous to humans so you'd have to use it on lines or poles outside the boat to prevent entry. For tractors and motorhomes, we spray the Mouse Out on the tires and brake lines underneath the equipment.

On my old houseboat I used to set off an aerosol spider bomb annually to reduce the population, but you'd have to really air the place out afterward and the fumes do not penetrate deep into folded clothes, towels, etc., so those would have to be removed. The brown recluse and other hunting types of spiders roam at night, so the sticky pads are good for them.

My marina has guys come out at 1am (when the spiders are out in their webs) and spray with Chrysanthemum spray directly onto the spiders. That spray is eco friendly and not dangerous to humans. You can get dried Chrysanthemums by the bag in Oriental Food stores where they use the dried flowers to make a tea.

Regular insect treatments do not affect spiders because spiders do not clean themselves, so they won't ingest a poison over which they walk like roaches, etc. will. As such, you need to spray directly onto the spider's body, or trap it with the sticky traps. The sticky traps only work well on the hunting type spiders who roam at nite. Most of the orb weavers don't stray far from their selected web site so they'll likely hide under the nearest drain vent, cleat well, etc..

Reducing the food supply of the spider by killing other insects inside the boat should reduce the number of spiders. Since bugs are drawn to light, keeping the area dark will sharply reduce the spider's food supply and thus the supply of spiders!

Anyway,

good luck on the problem...
John

BrentB · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:25 am Post subject:

To effective control spiders, you also to need to tackle some housekeeping duties to remove webs and eggs. Removing the adults does not remove the eggs.

drjohn71a · Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:55 am Post subject:

Another way to reduce the spider population is to take one of your barn cats out to the boat for a day or so. My barn cats love to dig spiders out from under the cleats, railings and canvas seams, and eat them so I sometimes take one down to the boat. He'll go over the entire boat, raking under the hardware and have a ball. Unfortunately, after that, he loses interest in the boat and wants to go hunt birds and mice, so I have to catch him before he heads out to other adventures.

John