# Dealing with Spiders?



## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

Maybe this problem is unique to the Great Lakes, but Spider Season has hit, a little late this year but making it up in volume.

Every year at some point during the summer, the number of spiders on the boat shifts from a few webs in obvious places to "OMG! They're Everywhere!" And they're big, nasty, juicy suckers too. 

They stay almost exclusively on the rigging and deck hardware (rather than the cabin), but it causes chaos in the cockpit when I, say, adjust the topping lift and half a dozen spiders drop into the cockpit. And we won't even get into the eight-legged rain from unfurling the jib if I don't get out for a week. 

I've never been bitten, but I do get sick of the webs, the critters themselves, and the dirt/carcasses/bird crap that they attract to the boat.

I've tried cleaning them off, but twenty-four hours later, it looks just the same. I'm on a mooring so firing up the hose is not an option and going after it with a wet brush is of limited effectiveness as well.

Do others have similar problems? If so, how do you handle it?


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## Vasco (Sep 24, 2006)

Kill them!!! Get them at dusk when they come out. Spray or squish! Do this for a week and they'll be gone.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

*Spider spray*

My local boat store sells a spider spray that works well. A good approach is to spray your dock lines and fenders to make it tougher for new spiders to migrate onboard and then do everything possible to kill those already onboard ie spray in the enclosed areas they hide in like furlers and mainsheets. Not perfect, but will get rid of most of them.


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## pelicanl (Jul 15, 2006)

I use TEMPO inside and out on our boat. Come back in an hour and watch them "march" off, the sick and disoriented being helped by the strong.


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## canadianseamonkey (Sep 4, 2006)

You forgot the BBQ....they love to hide in BBQ's. My wife won't open that lid until I do and there are always a half dozen that crawl out.

As far as the crap they leave behind, I use Spray Nine. I'm sure there are other strong solvents out there that will do the job. As for keeping them away, you can get a spary for that as well and from what I hear it works well.


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

We were told that dryer sheets in the cabin, under cushions and in storage spaces helps keep them away. The Admiral thinks not, but it's true we don't see many in the cabin. The other thing she read works well is _Ortho Home Defense_. We spray it in the corners and so-on in the cabin, in the lazerettes, in corners, crevices, etc. up above, in the winch covers, tiller cover, sail cover, etc., and on the dock lines.

We get spiders, but not many and usually not very large.

JIm


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## imiloa (Mar 17, 2004)

*Chemistry is your friend*

I'm also in the Chicago area and have experienced the annual attack of the spiders. I fight back on three fronts. (1) Inside the boat I vacuum regularly and place a few Bounce fabric softener sheets around. At the end of the season when I close up the boat for the winter I use the anti-spider spray you can buy at Menards to spray inside storage areas where they might hide. (2) Outside I use a spray from Spectracide (connects to a water hose or you can mix in your own sprayer) once every week or two and spray the boat, dock lines, and along the edge of the dock. (3) I shake out the sail and wheel covers overboard each time I remove them and spray them once or twice during the height of the attacks with the same spray I use inside the boat. I would think they would be easier to control if you're on a can.


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

pelicanl said:


> I use TEMPO inside *and out* on our boat.


Did you check the product labeling for that stuff? I just did. Contains verbiage such as "This pesticide is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates." "Do not apply directly to water, to areas where surface water is present or to intertidal areas below the mean high water mark." "Do not apply when weather conditions favor drift from treated areas. Drift and runoff from treated areas may be hazardous to aquatic organisms in neighboring areas."



Doesn't sound like something you should be using on the outside of a boat that's in the water.

Jim


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## drgamble (Oct 28, 2008)

SEMIJim said:


> We were told that dryer sheets in the cabin, under cushions and in storage spaces helps keep them away. The Admiral thinks not, but it's true we don't see many in the cabin. The other thing she read works well is _Ortho Home Defense_. We spray it in the corners and so-on in the cabin, in the lazerettes, in corners, crevices, etc. up above, in the winch covers, tiller cover, sail cover, etc., and on the dock lines.
> 
> We get spiders, but not many and usually not very large.
> 
> JIm


I have had very good success with Home Defense also and I spray all the exterior places on the boat mentioned by Jim when I leave the boat after a weekend. I'll still see spiders in the out of reach places and even had one that webbed up my windex until a good gust finally broke its hold... but overall, the number of spiders has been greatly reduced over last year.


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## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

imiloa said:


> I'm also in the Chicago area and have experienced the annual attack of the spiders. I fight back on three fronts. (1) Inside the boat I vacuum regularly and place a few Bounce fabric softener sheets around. At the end of the season when I close up the boat for the winter I use the anti-spider spray you can buy at Menards to spray inside storage areas where they might hide. (2) Outside I use a spray from Spectracide (connects to a water hose or you can mix in your own sprayer) once every week or two and spray the boat, dock lines, and along the edge of the dock. (3) I shake out the sail and wheel covers overboard each time I remove them and spray them once or twice during the height of the attacks with the same spray I use inside the boat. I would think they would be easier to control if you're on a can.


Yep, I shake all the covers into the water every time I go out, sweep off the webs, smash every spider I see, and yet this year they keep getting worse. I used to have a different boat closer to shore on a star dock before I bought this one and moved to the can, and it was even worse for density, just less rigging and canvas for the spiders to live in.

Sounds like some chemical warfare combined with a few days of shaking out the canvas every evening (really, honey! I'm just going sailing to get rid of the spiders!  ) is the best bet.


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## DwayneSpeer (Oct 12, 2003)

SEMIJim said:


> Did you check the product labeling for that stuff? I just did. Contains verbiage such as "This pesticide is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates." "Do not apply directly to water, to areas where surface water is present or to intertidal areas below the mean high water mark." "Do not apply when weather conditions favor drift from treated areas. Drift and runoff from treated areas may be hazardous to aquatic organisms in neighboring areas."
> 
> 
> 
> ...


When given the choice of killing a few fish or a few million spiders, I go for the spiders. There is nothing that I know of that is better than Tempo to keep spiders away and we have LOTS of them at my marina. Just be careful when you apply it.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

The key to killing them is to go out the first night with a can of raid. Go around and spray all of them in their nests at night. Clean off the boat the next morning. That will kill most until the next weekend.

- CD


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## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

I'm starting eco-friendly. I picked up some spider repellent (StarBrite Spider Away) at WM at lunch that seems to be basically peppermint oil. I'll try it tonight and will see if that, combined with sweeping & smashing, makes a difference. I figure that it'll at least smell good if the spiders don't leave.


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## eolon (Feb 5, 2008)

On Lake Erie the Great Spider Plaque of 2009 is in full swing. They never go inside, for some reason, it might be the smell, but outside they are everywhere. They have a habit of climbing the mast and building webs on my wind indicator and anemometer, which is extremely annoying, since I have to wait for a good blow to break them free.

I have a spider stick in the cockpit for de-webbing and squashing purposes, I don't think insecticide is a good idea.

I tell you one thing - I don't have any problem with mosquitoes or flies, which is a bonus.

By the way - many of the spiders on the Great Lakes are balloon spiders; they spin big spinnakers and sail downwind to new homes. There will always be new spiders showing up - my advice is get a spider stick and enjoy the mosquito-free cockpit.

Best Regards,

e

.::.


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## ollie820 (Mar 7, 2007)

Just FYI: Spiders do what is called "ballooning". When the eggs hatch the little guys spew out a thread of silk and let the wind carry them to their next destination. Rigging and masts make for good catchers. I have looked up the edge of a stay and have seen hundreds of strands from the buggers that have landed on board.


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## Mark1948 (Jun 19, 2007)

In Milwaukee, I have a nice web on my windex that is impeding movement. I don't see the spiders as any worse than prior years, but they certainly are persistent and big. They tend to hide under the rubrail. Any marine friendly cures would be appreciated.


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## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

I covered things pretty well with SpiderAway tonight along with a non-trivial amount of spider smashing. I'll update with results tomorrow or Friday.


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## pelicanl (Jul 15, 2006)

SEMIJim said:


> Did you check the product labeling for that stuff? I just did. Contains verbiage such as "This pesticide is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates." "Do not apply directly to water, to areas where surface water is present or to intertidal areas below the mean high water mark." "Do not apply when weather conditions favor drift from treated areas. Drift and runoff from treated areas may be hazardous to aquatic organisms in neighboring areas."
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Since I am a trailer sailor, this application takes place in my driveway. Doesn't sound like you have much faith in your fellow sailors. Is your boat a smaller one??


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## knothead (Apr 9, 2003)

Take a spider and cut off all his little legs. Then take a length of spider silk and wrap it around his little neck and then hang the little bastard from the yardarm. 

That will send a message to all the other spiders that you don't mess around.


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## sailak (Apr 15, 2007)

*They're listening.....*


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## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

As a follow-up on whether or not the Spider Repellent worked, I'm giving it a qualified "yes."

I finally made it back out on Sunday (pathetic since I live half a block away), ten days after the initial application and have to say that there were almost no new webs on the boat--significantly less that I've been getting just overnight, even. 

The bottle says a treatment lasts 3-6 months, so it remains to be seen whether or not that will hold true, but for the time being, the spiders seem to be pretty well in check.


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## t22767 (May 16, 2008)

I just catch them as I see them and lower them to the dock. They can continue eating all the bugs they want, and their webs no longer make a mess on the boat.

I have to keep doing it, but I don't mind too much. Plus, it doesn't bother me to miss a few, because I've never disliked spiders. I hate mosquitoes and flies, so I figure the spiders are on my side.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

> I hate mosquitoes and flies, so I figure the spiders are on my side.


 I agree. 
They do however make a big mess, little green spider dung everywhere.
You know what I mean, those little nasty green globs everywhere. They are a ***** to get clean.

And to those that use the smash approach, I don't think you have seen the size spiders we get (the original poster knows what I mean). If I were to smash one of those monsters, I would have an even bigger mess to clean. These suckers are huge. It has happened on occasion that they get "smashed" and it ain't pretty.


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## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

sailortjk1 said:


> I agree.
> They do however make a big mess, little green spider dung everywhere.
> You know what I mean, those little nasty green globs everywhere. They are a ***** to get clean.
> 
> And to those that use the smash approach, I don't think you have seen the size spiders we get (the original poster knows what I mean).


That's putting it mildly. It takes a power washer to really get their crap off the gelcoat, and that doesn't happen mid-season out on a can.

As to dropping them onto the dock...it's more of a "walk the plank" since, as noted, I'm on a can. And it's not that I like flies and mosquitos, but they're not a problem in the harbor or near to shore (once you get ten miles offshore, though. flies rule the roost), whereas spider webs and spider crap everywhere are an irritation all the time.


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## fullkeel7 (Apr 16, 2008)

Geez, after reading this thread, I'm sure glad there's not some "higher" species out there trying to squash us for the mess we make of our surroundings!  

After it's all said and done, all any of the species really need is food, shelter, and a little fun while continuing the species (which ever one belongs to).

Spiders are no different...they just wanna have FUN! Just be glad we don't have to go thru this ritual...YouTube - Hillarious jumping spider mating behaviour

So please, give the poor spiders a break...they have enough to deal with. At least, as males of our species, we don't have to thrust our soft underbellies into the jaws of our females to have a chance to procreate!!  :laugher


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

sailortjk1 said:


> I agree.
> They do however make a big mess, little green spider dung everywhere.
> You know what I mean, those little nasty green globs everywhere. They are a ***** to get clean.
> 
> And to those that use the smash approach, I don't think you have seen the size spiders we get (the original poster knows what I mean). If I were to smash one of those monsters, I would have an even bigger mess to clean. These suckers are huge. It has happened on occasion that they get "smashed" and it ain't pretty.


Tim,

There a product called Roll-Off and you litterally spray it on and within 30 seconds to a minute the spider poop or bird poop or anything is gone. A three second scrub with a brush (if that) is al you need then you spray it off. It works so well I am sure that the government will pass a law making it illegal. Not kidding - try it. Takes off all those little black spots in seconds.

Brian


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## SVCarolena (Oct 5, 2007)

I've also had good luck with Tilex mold and mildew remover, which I use a couple times a year to get the mold spots our of our non-skid. It is cheap, readily available, and seems to also do a good job getting rid of spider poop.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

Cruisingdad said:


> Tim,
> 
> There a product called Roll-Off and you litterally spray it on and within 30 seconds to a minute the spider poop or bird poop or anything is gone. A three second scrub with a brush (if that) is al you need then you spray it off. It works so well I am sure that the government will pass a law making it illegal. Not kidding - try it. Takes off all those little black spots in seconds.
> 
> Brian


Hey Brian,
Good to hear from you. 
I will get the info to you that you request.
Have you replaced the Blackberry?

As far as Roll OFF, yes, we buy it by the gallon (usually around $24/galllon if I remember correctly) and it works great. But with the green globs, I find that there is still a tiny dinge that remains even after scrubbing. The only thing that removes that last little dinge is time.

I am going to try Tilex as Carolena has done.


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## jknappsax (Aug 10, 2006)

Jeez, Dale, I really hope that is not a picture of one of the spiders on your boat! I have some arachnaphobia, and I could barely look at that picture.


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## chandlerman (Apr 26, 2008)

jknappsax said:


> Jeez, Dale, I really hope that is not a picture of one of the spiders on your boat! I have some arachnaphobia, and I could barely look at that picture.


I'll see if I can get a picture up on the bow where I didn't spray next time I make it out. The big juicy ones we're talking about are not quite as big around as a US quarter and it's mostly body, little short legs. Big, fat abdomens that leave big blackish-green smears when you squash them.

On Lake Michigan, "Arachnophobe" and "Sailor" are an either-or proposition.


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## SVCarolena (Oct 5, 2007)

sailortjk1 said:


> Hey Brian,
> I am going to try Tilex as Carolena has done.


Make sure you get the mold and mildew version, no need for the soap scum remover.  I've sometimes noticed a slight ring after cleaning, but it usually goes away within a few minutes after rinsing (I think it is the cleaner bleaching the stain).


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

my boat is in san diego--when i got her she had spideys--yukkk---i now have left her for the summer---lol--i am afraid to go into her when i come home----the spideys will have taken over!!!!! they fly in on the breezes from the land --there is a park near us--lol--so i have to go in armed to teeth with killers-LOL......gad.....


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## sail123 (Jul 10, 2012)

knothead said:


> Take a spider and cut off all his little legs. Then take a length of spider silk and wrap it around his little neck and then hang the little bastard from the yardarm.
> 
> That will send a message to all the other spiders that you don't mess around.


Pm sent


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

For more on the topic of spiders;


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## s/y Sjoea (Nov 3, 2015)

A small shop-vac, a length of plastic tube, and some patience. Kill the spiders in the vac with two seconds of spray-paint in the nozzle. Takes spider and webbs. And no poison.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

It has been my experience that the spiders quickly abandon ship when you are no longer near land. It took about three days for them to leave, and I didn't see any until I get back home and tied the boat to the dock. It took just one day for them to discover that I was home and take up residence among the many hidey-holes on a sailboat. I've found that they do not like Ortho Home Defense Max at all. I spray it beneath my rub rails, and dozens drop dead instantly. I also sprayed the bottom opening of my sail cover, bimini cover and beneath the solar panel. The little buggers were falling like leaves on the deck they had badly stained with their poo. Since spraying, very few have appeared.

All the best,

Gary


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## OldEagle (Nov 16, 2013)

Just think of them as little fresh snacks. Once you develop the taste, you'll find that your problem isn't too many of them, it will be too few...


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## PitApe (Feb 28, 2015)

Dealing with spiders? I don't get many spiders on the boat. However, I did make a deal with the spiders in my tool shed -- I won't eat any of their prey, if they don't eat my tools. So far we seem to get along just fine (and the shed is prey much bug-free).


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