# Insect Infestation



## Yorksailor (Oct 11, 2009)

We are very careful with cleanliness and keep cardboard, a source of cockroach eggs off the boat but recently we have had an infestation of very small, 1-2 mm, bugs.

Over the last week we have noticed a marked reduction in the bug count and yesterday we discovered the cause...

We have acquired a small pet gecko! if we develop an infestation of cockroaches we may need to acquire an iguana!

Phil


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm very anti bug too.
Along with spray, some traps, I also carry a few foggers.
Set one or two off, close off below, spend 8-12 hrs on deck....should be good.


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## MastUndSchotbruch (Nov 26, 2010)

RegisteredUser said:


> I'm very anti bug too.
> Along with spray, some traps, I also carry a few foggers.
> Set one or two off, close off below, spend 8-12 hrs on deck....should be good.


I would prefer the gecko


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Boric acid powder is a sure fire way to rid a boat of roaches, and keep it so, but it takes months. Be patient. And remember, many roach species can fly, so you are always at risk of an infestation. Ants are also a problem if you buy fruit from anywhere other than a supermarket, sealed in plastic.
I searched and searched to find out if it was toxic to our Mourning Gecko, Hiccup, but could not find a definitive answer. However, Hiccup has been aboard since October and we had the boric acid around way before that and she seems fine.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Yorksailor said:


> We are very careful with cleanliness and keep cardboard, a source of cockroach eggs off the boat but recently we have had an infestation of very small, 1-2 mm, bugs.......


To really get the job done, you need to rinse everything, before it comes aboard, in a dilute bleach bath, even fruit, and remove all can labels too. Freezing any dry good overnight will kill bugs that are most certainly in there too (ie flour, rice, beans, etc). You probably know all this. Bug are frustrating.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Minnewaska said:


> To really get the job done, you need to rinse everything, before it comes aboard, in a dilute bleach bath, even fruit, and remove all can labels too. Freezing any dry good overnight will kill bugs that are most certainly in there too (ie flour, rice, beans, etc). You probably know all this. Bug are frustrating.


If cockroaches will survive a nuclear holocaust, what makes you think freezing will do anything to them? lol


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

capta said:


> If cockroaches will survive a nuclear holocaust, what makes you think freezing will do anything to them? lol


For one, you're not just trying to kill roaches.

Secondly, I'm pretty sure that freezing will kill both a live cockroach and it's eggs, but I may have to take back my reference to overnight. Could take cold a bit longer.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Yes, having a gecko on board is a very positive thing. Two are better, because one always seems to eventually get itself into a bad place - we closed a hatch once to find a squashed gecko the next time we opened it.

Some bugs you just live with. We always seem to have these extremely small mites or similar. Nothing gets rid of them; on the other hand, we only notice them rarely. They seem to like books.

Things that grow in rice, noodles, and flour are tough. There are ways to kill them, and then try to seal them up well, but every so often we just toss some of it and buy more.

Knock on wood, we have not had a cockroach infestation. I have a couple of times found a single dead cockroach, and have had random individuals fly on the boat, which I immediately kill, but no communities of live ones. 

We grow some plants on board and they alway get small bugs that stay on the plants, but our gecko always keeps them tidy for us. Geckos seem to love spiders because we never have them when we have a gecko, but we get them everywhere when we do not have a gecko.

So the moral of the story is do everything you can to invite a gecko or two on board. Right now, we only have a single 1" one. Hopefully he will grow into an eating machine, and maybe we can get another soon.

Mark


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

capta said:


> If cockroaches will survive a nuclear holocaust


I'm not aware of that supposition being put to a test, but maybe soon...

Mark


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

I've read that bay leafs keep buggies away from dry foods, but have no personal experience with this.
I'm very familiar with sugar ants.
Maybe ziplock your daily-use container with a bay leaf...?

I know you can bomb/fog sugar ants away.

Geckos are your buddies for sure.
One website about geckos as pets said they like music...
Does your local West Marine stock geckos?


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Yorksailor said:


> We have acquired a small pet gecko! if we develop an infestation of cockroaches we may need to acquire an iguana!
> 
> Phil


And if you get an infestation of iguanas?

I have boric acid tablets everywhere.


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

A boric paste with honey or sugar...and they blow up later.
I've never tried it.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

I did some research on our gecko and it seems *she* is a Mourning Gecko, an all female species! A "mourning" gecko because she is mourning the loss of the males of her species. lol
Please, don't tell your wife about this if she is a member of the Women Who Sail facebook group, or it might give that 15,000 strong women's group the idea they *can* do it all w/o us!


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> And if you get an infestation of iguanas?
> 
> I have boric acid tablets everywhere.


It is my understanding boric acid melts the wax coating on the roaches and they then dehydrate to death. It is not poisonous to pets or even roaches, as such, so I'm not sure tablets will work. This is why it is sold as a powder for pest control. They must walk through the powder, apparently.
Have you seen any indication that the roaches are eating the tablets?


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

capta said:


> It is my understanding boric acid melts the wax coating on the roaches and they then dehydrate to death. It is not poisonous to pets or even roaches, as such, so I'm not sure tablets will work. This is it is sold as a powder for pest control. They must walk through the powder, apparently.
> Have you seen any indication that the roaches are eating the tablets?


I didn't know that. The tablets are pretty well powderised.

I have never seen a cockroach on my boat - serious! *touch wood* I never do.

I replace the tablets every year or so. I will make sure they are pulverised.

Thanks for the top ☺

Mark


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

Usually, the tablets are made with sugar, so the roaches eat them (and subsequently track some about). The powder is meant to be sprinkled about so the roaches track it around with them while they eat other stuff.

Mark


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## drew1711 (May 22, 2004)

Boric acid creates gas in the digestive system of roaches that they can't expel, the way we can (ahem).

When they crawl through it, they clean it off of themselves, go back to the nest and essentially explode and are eaten by other roaches. The process repeats. They need fresh water to survive, so spread the stuff where they can access it. 

Really bad news: Cockroaches love beer. Be liberal with the Boric Acid.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

capta said:


> If cockroaches will survive a nuclear holocaust, what makes you think freezing will do anything to them? lol


Actually, he is right, with clarification. I have researched this (literature and testing) for an up-coming article, and what is required is extreme sub-freezing temperatures. A few hours and -30F or over night at -10F will do the job. Slightly sub-freezing temperatures will kill the bugs but not the eggs, so don't bet on a boat freezer to do the job. This is how they survive the winter; the eggs have to be in a place that freeze, but not severely so. Under a log or deep in the forest duff will do the trick.

Depending on the food, microwaving and light baking are also well proven. For example, these work on rice and flour, but not for baking mixes.

Unsurprisingly, bugs are a minor problem for boats stored in the water farther north. Although the hull itself may stay near freezing, there are enough very cold hours to pretty much sterilize the cabin. Boats stored on land can pick them up from the yard, but at least for a boat up on stands, the cold will kill any termites.


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

Aside from cardboard, I thought that the paper labels and glue on canned food was also a potential source of pests? Isn't this why cruisers peel off the labels and relabel them with a Sharpie marker?


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Ajax_MD said:


> Aside from cardboard, I thought that the paper labels and glue on canned food was also a potential source of pests? Isn't this why cruisers peel off the labels and relabel them with a Sharpie marker?


We removed the labels from the cans to keep water from washing the labels into the bilge and clogging the pumps. Too bad I discontinued the practice (read; got lazy) a few years before being capsized in a hurricane off Fiji.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

drew1711 said:


> Boric acid creates gas in the digestive system of roaches that they can't expel, the way we can (ahem).
> 
> When they crawl through it, they clean it off of themselves, go back to the nest and essentially explode and are eaten by other roaches. The process repeats. They need fresh water to survive, so spread the stuff where they can access it.
> 
> Really bad news: Cockroaches love beer. Be liberal with the Boric Acid.


OK then. Ain't life great; we learn something every day.
I guess the point is that Boric acid isn't toxic to humans or pets and it works.


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## watsongs (Dec 6, 2011)

Dry ice will also kill roaches in sealed containers like ziplocks, or even sealed lockers , as it’s frozen CO2 and they suffocate. Takes waiting, and not always available, though....


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

never forget that cucaroches FLY!!!!
doesnot matter how clean your boat is you can still suffer them
iguanas eat fruit. good critters ..donot allow em to bite, that sucks and i understand is painful. 
constrictors also come onto boat, especially after a flooding of their homes. fun stuff. and koatamundi. 
ratys also love our lifestyles and are the 7th plague. 
and so we are back to cats.. hahahahaha indoors keep the bad guys out and wild cats in colonies keep the  outdoor rats bearing diseases at bay. so we again back to shipboard cats. 
just keep the cats away from the gekkos......my life is good. i finding baby gekkos all over boat. woohoooo.

off track a tad, as i was only gonna say mexicans mix boric acid with lechera, nestles sweetened condensed milk mexicans love in their coffee ......make a cookie and put those around where nothing else can get to it. boric acid is not harmful but itis also not harmless. 
donot spread misinformation. itis harmful to pets children and adult humans. 
boric acid can still be very dangerous to humans, animals, and children. It may requires a lot of it for a lethal dose, but there are also several side effects of exposure to boric acid. Many of the insecticides that contain boric acid will contain a sweetener, such as sugar, to attract insects.Aug 30, 2009


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## neeqness (Jan 31, 2017)

colemj said:


> Yes, having a gecko on board is a very positive thing. Two are better, because one always seems to eventually get itself into a bad place - we closed a hatch once to find a squashed gecko the next time we opened it.
> 
> Some bugs you just live with. We always seem to have these extremely small mites or similar. Nothing gets rid of them; on the other hand, we only notice them rarely. They seem to like books.
> 
> ...


I like the gecko idea although spiders may also be useful for killing other insects, geckos (in Mexico anyway) are notorious for killing mosquitos...and some people actually encourage them in their patios explicitly for that purpose.

I had a few questions for you though... Do geckos require any upkeep, i.e. separate food, water bowl, etc? How do you obtain one? Can they be found in certain pet stores? Thanks in advance.

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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

neeqness said:


> ....I had a few questions for you though... Do geckos require any upkeep, i.e. separate food, water bowl, etc? How do you obtain one? Can they be found in certain pet stores? .....


I thought you were going to ask what happens to months/years of gecko turds. :eek


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## SeaStar58 (Feb 14, 2018)

A pesticide called Demon also works very well against Roaches/Palmetto Bugs and for a long time and it does not leave a white residue behind.

Hanging an old sock or two with a new bar of Irish Spring in it can also help keep a boat free of insects especially Mud Daubers and may also keep thieves and many others out of the boat too. Maybe even that annoying brother-in..... ;>


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

neeqness said:


> I like the gecko idea although spiders may also be useful for killing other insects, geckos (in Mexico anyway) are notorious for killing mosquitos...and some people actually encourage them in their patios explicitly for that purpose.
> 
> I had a few questions for you though... Do geckos require any upkeep, i.e. separate food, water bowl, etc? How do you obtain one? Can they be found in certain pet stores? Thanks in advance.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk


Sadly, our gecko died the other day.

Yes, spiders do eat insects, but the create a terrible mess that is difficult to clean. The gecko always poops in the same area, and it is easy to clean up (just brush it away).

As for upkeep - I don't know. We have never done anything for them. There is probably always fresh water around from the stern shower, washing down the deck, rain, dew, etc. I assume they get their own food from bugs and whatever crumbs they find after happy hour snacks. Every one we have obtained was gotten simply by being in a marina or yard for a day or so. Seems like every time we haul out for a bottom job, we go back in with a couple of geckos on board.

No plans for a haul out any time soon, so we might be gecko-less for a while.

Mark


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Took to spraying my dock lines with insecticide if I was going to be tied up for more than a few minutes. Believe it makes a big difference.
Don’t like bombing the boat. Believe the residue can’t be good for you.
Flies are a pia. Haven’t found anything that works better than those supersticky small rolls of fly paper. Hate bumping into to them. Anybody have anything better.
A bit of beer inside a glass bowl coated with joy on the inside in the sink over night kills the roachs. They drink it and can’t get out. Also works some for flying bugs.
The boric acid remains the stand by.
Wasp spray to the face works to chase any four legged creatures off the boat if your aim is good.


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## neeqness (Jan 31, 2017)

Minnewaska said:


> I thought you were going to ask what happens to months/years of gecko turds. :eek


Lol.

But now that I think about it...I've been considering growing some plants onboard, so maybe it could be used as some homegrown fertilizer? Hmmm...

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## neeqness (Jan 31, 2017)

colemj said:


> Sadly, our gecko died the other day.
> 
> Yes, spiders do eat insects, but the create a terrible mess that is difficult to clean. The gecko always poops in the same area, and it is easy to clean up (just brush it away).
> 
> ...


Aww that is sad. Wonder what could have been the cause...

Good to know they don't require much maintenance. I may have to look more into this option.

Arachnaphobics Alert!
For spiders, I think it depends which type you have. Different spiders make different sized "messes". In Mexico, I've noticed that Daddy Long Leg type seem to be preferred since not only do they kill flies and most other flying insects but also other spiders including some of the poisonous types (like Black Widows). They kill ants and roaches too(except the very big ones), but they won't be able to keep up with their reproductive rate. This is just FYI for those who might be interested...spiders anyone?

But my goal isn't really to use spiders for this. I don't have any and I don't plan to try to get any but I do like the gecko idea. I've seen them in action in Mexico and they are quite good at staying out of the way as they go about their business. You may start thinking that they aren't doing anything until you realize that you aren't getting bit by mosquitoes so much anymore. They climb along walls and ceilings but usually move really slow, so as long as this doesn't freak you out seeing them sitting still here or there, they seem like an easy option.

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## SeaStar58 (Feb 14, 2018)

On spiders I have been bitten too many times by them. Had a few Chilean Recluse in some wood products that I quite actively chased down and got out of the house. Actually they quite aggressively came after me. The cat did get two of them for me while I got three.

While out camping though I did get hit by one particularly bad spider while moving a picnic table but did not feel it at all and did not realize I had been bitten until a few hours later when I woke up I felt like someone had beaten me with an axe handle. My left forearm turned black and blue but thankfully no necrosis set in. Was incapacitated for almost four days and was alone unable to drive myself out to get to a hospital.


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## colemj (Jul 10, 2003)

outbound said:


> Anybody have anything better.


We were eating at an outside bar the other day. When they brought our food out, swarms of flies appeared from nowhere going for the food. They were thick and couldn't even be batted away. The bartender took out a can of Sterno, lit it and placed it on the bar, and all of the flies almost instantly disappeared. Never saw another one as long as that Sterno was around.

Can't explain it, but we will pick up a couple of cans to have around.

Mark


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