# Spiders in boat



## saurav16 (Mar 22, 2007)

What should I do, I have a lot of spiders on my boat. Is bombing the boat with defogger for stuff on the boat besides ppl of course.


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## Sapperwhite (Oct 21, 2006)

Leave them alone, they will take care of the fly and mosquito problem. I come out of the companionway in the morning and find big webs in the pushpit full of gnats and mosquitos. Spiders creep me out, but I hate flying pests even more.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Spiders are your friends. Flies and mosquitos lay their eggs in your bilge water, the spiders are much better for your lungs than pesticides.


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## LaPlaya (Jun 12, 2007)

*spiders*

They are not allowed on our boat...Wife has a REAL serious problem with them.
We spray raid with everything removeable out, then wash down at the start of the year that usually takes care of the worst of em...Guy up here swears by bounce fabric softener sheets says a couple of those in the boat and no spiders....Have not tried it myself.
AL


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## yotphix (Aug 18, 2006)

They weren't allowed on my boat for the same reason so I spent about ten or fifteen minutes a day evicting them. Not much harder to pick up live ones then dead ones and if you move them to the dock they keep eating the mosquitos too.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The real trick to evicting them is getting rid of the eggs. They lay thousands of the damn things. You need to vacuum the boat rather thouroughly, especially if you're not going to fog bomb the boat. BTW, I really don't like fog bombing a boat, since it is hard to clean up afterwards, and the stuff is really bad news. 

Vacuum the boat completely and pitch the bag immediately. Also, make sure that you have screens over the vents and such. If you do so regularly, it will prevent them from taking over the boat.


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## SailorMitch (Nov 18, 2005)

The spiders are there because of the available food supply. To get rid of the spiders, get rid of all the other bugs. Given that the latter is almost impossible on a boat, learn to live with the spiders and let them take care of the other bugs.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

SailorMitch said:


> The spiders are there because of the available food supply. To get rid of the spiders, get rid of all the other bugs. Given that the latter is almost impossible on a boat, learn to live with the spiders and let them take care of the other bugs.


Not necessarily true... spiders aren't that smart. Most would rather starve to death than move to a location that has more abundant food. If a spider migrated there and laid eggs... it may just be that they're stuck in the boat, since most boats are fairly tightly sealed.

This is from a website about brown recluse spiders, but applies to most other species as well:



> *Preventing spider bites*
> 
> Shake out clothing and shoes before getting dressed.
> Inspect bedding and towels before use.
> ...


Just be glad that you don't have brown recluse or funnel web spiders in your boat.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

> Just be glad that you don't have brown recluse or funnel web spiders in your boat.


and then I followed the link to the Mouse spider...

Jaysus!  And I _had _always wanted to visit Australia.

Now, fuggedaboudit.


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

THERE SHOULD BE A FREKING LAW..

*IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE OR DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH SPIDERS ON YOUR BOAT....YOU SHOULDN'T BE SAILING......ENDANGERING THE LIFES OF OTHERS ON THE WATER*


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We have a pet spider. We're planning to cruise the Sea of Cortez next summer and we want to take it with us. Has anyone done this before? What was your experience?


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

I just hate the mess they leave behind.

The Spider crap gets all over, little tiny specks of green spider crap everywhere.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

OK, here we go. Take a coffee can. Put a few moth balls into said coffee can. Leave can on boat. No more spiders, ants, flies, mosi, etc...When you arrive at boat, put lid on can. No more smell while you are on boat.


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## Kernix (Oct 5, 2006)

LaPlaya said:


> They are not allowed on our boat...Wife has a REAL serious problem with them.
> We spray raid with everything removeable out, then wash down at the start of the year that usually takes care of the worst of em...Guy up here swears by bounce fabric softener sheets says a couple of those in the boat and no spiders....Have not tried it myself.
> AL


I was just in a camping group in their file sections reading some camping tips (I'll be camping on the beach for 4-5 days in a couple of weeks) - the fabric softener sheets was mentioned as a tip for keeping all sorts of critters away - mainly insects but also mice.


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## SEMIJim (Jun 9, 2007)

Giulietta said:


> THERE SHOULD BE A FREKING LAW..
> 
> *IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE OR DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH SPIDERS ON YOUR BOAT....YOU SHOULDN'T BE SAILING......ENDANGERING THE LIFES OF OTHERS ON THE WATER*


I think that's enough coffee for now, Gui


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## h16Sailor (Mar 7, 2007)

Giulietta said:


> THERE SHOULD BE A FREKING LAW..
> 
> *IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE OR DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH SPIDERS ON YOUR BOAT....YOU SHOULDN'T BE SAILING......ENDANGERING THE LIFES OF OTHERS ON THE WATER*


Ok, I understand you like spiders.

However, Where I live there are two very poisonous spiders, who must like to bite people since they kill a few people each year, the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse. I can live in harmony with any other spider, but when it comes to my possible death, death or the possibility of death to my family or even to those galley dogs some call 'crew' , I get serious. 
As 'captain', I am responsible for the safety of the crew, not only on the water for my actions, but from poisonous spider bites.

Maybe we should all move to Europe since these spiders don't have schengen visas


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My pet spider is a black widow. I think they are getting a bad rep which is unfair because most of them are actually very loving. It's the ones that are starved and beaten by drug dealers and other low lifes that are to blame for the attacks.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

The reason I go to sea: Is to be FAR Far far away from bugs and spiders.

But in South America tropics you have the Wanderer spider. Whose bite does kill humans. A good reason not to tour down there.

So I work hard on each vessel I work on, to keep it free of all known and undiscovered vermin there is. Fly swatters. Foot stomps. Borax powder. Cans of Raid or like products. What ever it takes.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

I was surprised to find a spider named Brown Sailor Spider . . . although, not a creature I'd like to keep onboard as crew:


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

*Wasp nests*

I've found that it's the wasps that like my boat more than spiders. It's very alarming when i see a wasp fly out of my boat when i've just opened it up. "WHERE is that nest" i think to myself while looking around with a can of wasp spray. 

As far as spiders...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

...what's up with Giu these days? He only writes in those big red letters like he's all pissed off or something. Did his boat sink or what???


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

USCGRET1990 said:


> ...what's up with Giu these days? He only writes in those big red letters like he's all pissed off or something. Did his boat sink or what???


No, but it is a good distance from his house, so he could be suffering from separation anxiety.


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## Northbeach (Jan 1, 2007)

*This stuff works for me.*

Here is a product that I use: Spectracide Bug Stop home insect killer. Web site: Spectrum Brands - Spectracide. It took me some time to locate the product but it works well. If I don't treat the boat it will be literally covered in webs. I don't really care but the wife and kids hate the bugs. If the spiders don't bother you fine, keep them around to do what they do best. If you want to get rid of them and keep them away then I would recommend the above product.

I wear gloves & wet a cloth with the stuff and then wipe down the obvious places at the beginning of the season. One application keeps the boat spider free for a long time. Generally I do this once a season.

Disclosure: I do not work for this company and am not paid to endorse them.


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

One more time. I'll try typing slower for some of you. BTW- try to find someplace that doesn't have poisonious spiders that bite. This works for all bugs, insects, spiders, bats, cats, rats, etc...
*OK, here we go. Take a coffee can. Put a few moth balls into said coffee can. Leave can on boat. No more spiders, ants, flies, mosi, etc...When you arrive at boat, put lid on can. No more smell while you are on boat.*


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

If you are not more careful with those big red letters Giu...some French guy this year is gonna drop a pregnant snake in your porthole!! (G)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

camaraderie said:


> If you are not more careful with those big red letters Giu...some French guy this year is gonna drop a pregnant snake in your porthole!! (G)


Cam-

Gotta read a bit more closely... the last post with big red letters was T34C, not Giu...


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## Joel73 (Apr 23, 2007)

That was funny Cam... i thought the exact same thing.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

OMG it must be catching!!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, people posting in large red letters will usually break a boom or other major item on their boat this season...


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## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Yes, people posting in large red letters will usually break a boom or other major item on their boat this season...


NAHH, Some of us have boats that were built right the first time!


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

T34C said:


> NAHH, Some of us have boats that were built right the first time!


*THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THAT NOT ALL SAIL....IS IT????? I MEAN...WHEN THE WIND IS BLOWING...*


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