Spiders

[scarlet]

We have a small monohull, and my husband would like me to spend a night on it every once and a while.. but, there are so many spiders. Does anyone have any special trick to keep spiders out of the cabin?

[Orion Jim]

The boat's 22 feet long. Should be able to wipe out the spider population with Ortho Home Defense Max. Have your husband spray the interior a couple days before your arrival.

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by Jim Walsh

The boat's 22 feet long. Should be able to wipe out the spider population with Ortho Home Defense Max. Have your husband spray the interior a couple days before your arrival.

Do you know how long that lasts? Could we use it as a monthly treatment?

[JPA Cate]

scarlet,

Do a Google search on this subject: how to eliminate spider infestations. It has been covered previously in CF. FWIW, I agree that it's a bit creepy to have a spider walk over your face and it wakes you up, but there are many ways to get rid of them. Abovedecks, just a washdown with soapy water will do wonders!

Good luck with it.

Ann

[7yrsorless]

Spider Blaster by Raid works 2 weeks and is available pretty much everywhere..but we just just found a new spray that last for 60 days(unsure of the name and the bottle is in the boat.. We just spray the entire boat paying special attention to the lines and all the dark corners we've got a 38 footer and one bottle does the whole boat. After you spray it leave the boat for like half an hour...its rather toxic(as are all Raid products..but they do work)!

[Pete7]

I thought they didn't like conkers? guess you need to make up a pot pori with some in. Good time of year to collect them too.

Do conkers drive spiders bonkers? Royal Society of Chemistry tests the old wives' tale | Mail Online

[DeepFrz]

So that article was from 2009. What were the results of the tests?

[gah964]

bug bomb it open all doors hatches inside lockers then they are all dead.

[stevensc]

I like to spray at night when they come out of hiding and get on the web, if the can sprays don't get them there is a product called SUSPEND, it is mixed with water and really works well for spiders wasps etc. It's expensive but calls to be mixed with lots of water so a bottle will last a long time
details and price here:
Amazon.com : Suspend Sc Insecticide -(1 Pint) Flea Tick Roaches Ant Professional Pest Control Product : Pest Controlling Insects : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Steve W

[denverd0n]

I know a lot of people find spiders to be "creepy." And if the infestation really is bad, and not just a few here and there, then fine, do something about them. But the truth is that there are extremely few varieties of spiders that will bite humans, and most spiders live on a diet of other insects. In other words, a few spiders onboard are actually a good thing, as they will keep other insects at bay.

Beyond that, if you really do have a large infestation of spiders, ask yourself why. As I said, spiders mainly eat other insects. If you have a lot of spiders, that means that you have a lot of other insects that they are feasting on. Take steps to eliminate the other insects and the spiders will go away on their own. Instead of beginning by wondering what poison will kill them the quickest, perhaps you should ask yourself what you are doing to attract so many insects in the first place.

[IdoraKeeper]

Just mashed a Black Widow this morning. Spiders are a menace. I have had them charge me when trying to clean the garage. I don't tolerate them on the boat. I would bomb the daylights out of the boat. Spider bites can make you sick and miserable. There may be other problems... Spiders take up residence where there is food. Think other bugs.

[Steve W]

3 or 4 mothballs seem to keep them out of the inside of our boat. They love to hide in the bimini, so I spray them with bug spray as they descend from the bimini after the sun goes down. I move mothballs outside when we spend the weekend on the boat and the open hatches remove the mothball smell in a few minutes. Works pretty well.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by gah964

bug bomb it open all doors hatches inside lockers then they are all dead.

Yep bomb them good! Then keep the boat sealed up well. Is the boat open a lot? Spiders need to eat...if they love your boat... what are they eating?

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

Just mashed a Black Widow this morning. Spiders are a menace. I have had them charge me when trying to clean the garage. I don't tolerate them on the boat. I would bomb the daylights out of the boat. Spider bites can make you sick and miserable. There may be other problems... Spiders take up residence where there is food. Think other bugs.

Black Widows are extremely shy and retiring. There is no way one would charge you. That was probably a completely harmless wolf spider or similar. Most likely, it simply ran in your direction. The only really aggressive species I know of is the Brazilian Wandering spider, and if you have an infestation of those, you have a major issue.

There has been one death a year in the US from spider bites since antivenoms were commonly available. This does not fit your description of a menace. Humans would appear to be far, far more dangerous. There were 15,000 murders in the US last year. Conclusion : spiders are much better roomates.

[barnakiel]

You must be infested. Catch them and set them "free". They will love ;-) the local lawn.

There are none on ours but we live aboard full time.

b.