How to get rid of bugs and spiders?

[Xthewater]

I have heard though not tried a peppermint oil spray solution works for repelling spiders .
I like the suggestion re sulfer candles,

[SVTwilight]

Her fear is not irrational, as most spiders have a toxic bite to one degree or another, some terribly so, but her flight response is over the top.

If you are afraid you might lose a gecko on the boat, get a cat or a monkey and they will have them cleaned up in no time.

Or make sport of it and hunt them with a can of gum remover. Not toxic and freezes them on the spot!

[zeehag]

spidey and his wasp armies are nasty and need many screams and lotsa borax to make em leave.
i put borax in my hose and spray em. note-- borax is bad on metal. makes pits and holes in stainless, but the freeking wasps and spideys vanish. get queen wasp in chest with spray, she dies. ok no more waspies. the red ones are nasty here. and HUGE.
less toxic defense-- our beautiful gekkos we have here in tropics. they rock. eat whole beetles in a bite. love me some gekkos on my boat.
bubba unfortunately eats them . ok....so he doesnt share my enthusiasm as to these invaders....
raid does nothing except waste money.
btdt.
go to the local extreme poison.
spray everything--leave boat for 4 hours. return, air it out for 2 more-- then change all sheets and wash all dishes. this **** works. vacuum corpses and you will never know they were there..... might even last 3-6 months after initial use. take pet with ye when ye leave boat, or it will be dead when you return.

oh yeah--if you have a pet on board--donot allow to sit in the borax. it will make em really sick or worse. avoid that.

[FilBrown]

Originally Posted by SVTwilight

Her fear is not irrational, as most spiders have a toxic bite to one degree or another, some terribly so, but her flight response is over the top.

In the UK we don't really have any dangerous wildlife, apart from the very seldom seen Adder and in the seas Portuguese Man o War jellyfish.

[Captain Blue]

Good day, us old dogs know that using any pesticides around our water is not good. So I wait until it is dark (they are all out of their hidding places) and armed with a flashlight and a battery vacuum I can get them all in 10 minutes. Put tape over the vacuum opening when done then drop them off on land. Good luck.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by four winds

Bear with me a moment and I'd like to suggest to address the fear through a conversation with her.

That could definitely help! Not sure if she's not too afraid, but worth a try in my opinion.

I agree with all the posters who have suggested some kind of therapy. This is more than a "normal" fear of the critters, and reactions like hers can be outright dangerous - for her and others.

Even if you spray, fume, oil every inch of your boat as often as you can (...), you can't avoid spiders. They're in the mast, in the sails, and in a lot of nooks and crannies. Spiders are everywhere, really, and that's actually a good thing! You'll want them outside on your boat to keep out some other insects you don't want.

If you're in a marina, even walking along the docks could be an issue if she's that afraid. Depending on location, obviously, but when I go to shore early in the morning, I had better look where I'm going - both on the boat and in the marina.

What I'm trying to say: if she's willing to jump out of a moving car on the way to the boat, just trying to keep your boat free of spiders isn't enough - and it's not helping her, it's avoiding a real and serious issue.
Instead of going out of your way to get rid of the trigger, help her deal with the trigger.

Google "memory reconsolidation" in relation to fear of spiders - here's one article.

Touching a tarantula is not on my bucket list, thank you very much. But I did manage to 'DIY therapy' my way to not screaming or running away from big spiders, simply by accepting the small ones first. I even name them I had a little one living in a corner in the boat where he (she?) wasn't in the way. This from a girl who used to refuse to set foot on a boat if she even thought there might be a spider - no matter how small.

The big ones, I still don't like. But instead of going nuts, I take a few breaths and, if not on the hook, will go find someone who isn't afraid to pick it up and put it on land somewhere. When on the hook, I either deal with it (when it's outside somewhere) or, sadly, kill it with a spray. Which is a really sucky thing to do. I'm still working on it.

[Beavereater]

Blair,
Pest Control Providers would typically tackle the situation by following these guidelines. The first may not be the safest, but the rest will be ordered by their safety levels.
1. Find a new girlfriend, phobias can be debilitating.
2. Minimize entry points into the boat, close it up or use screens on openings.
3. Minimize bright lighting in white spectrum, change to yellow sodium around entry points.
4. Have a good powerful portable vacuum on board for effective quick removal of arthropods.
5. Diatomaceous earth, dust, apply to areas where arthropods will come in contact, messy abrasive characteristics.
6. Amorphous silica gel, dust. apply same as above, strong dessicant.
7. Pyrethrin aerosol, similar to permethrin aerosol Lizzy recommends but safer, made from crysanthemum flowers. Close up boat, apply to interior and leave boat sealed for thirty minutes.
8. Dichlorvos impregnated strips, (Pro Zap) organophosphate insecticide, handler with gloves on, This product should be used when boat will be empty for extended periods. Do not leave hanging in vessel while occupied for more than four hours. Strips are effective for up to three months,store them in airtight containers between use. Very effective.
To do what we refer to as Integrated Pest Management I would recommend using multiple options in this list. Hope this helps you.
Mike

[MCOS]

Re Sulfur Candles. Not a good idea. This won't kill spiders. Also the burning sulfur makes sulfur dioxide which combines with moisture to create sulfuric acid which will tarnish bright work and probably wreak havoc with electronics.

I don't mind the spiders since they keep other nasties at bay. I do mind the mess they make, webs, egg sacks glued here and there and everywhere so I enlist the aid of the local exterminator once a year. They come in late spring and spray and there are no spiders for the season, well almost none. This person also sprays the exterior of our summer cottage. $25 for the boat and $150 for the house.

Check with the marina operator, they can probably suggest a bug man for you.

[bru1791]

Bug-A-Salt: The Original Salt Gun – Bug-A-Salt

it really works, is all natural and safe, no bug mess, fun, and uses a tiny amount of salt. we have a no-spider-kill rule though unless it's furry in which case we get a leash.

[DDabs]

Mix Boric acid, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar until you have a peanut butter consistency mixture. Spoon out onto wax paper or foil and allow it to dry overnight. Then place the small roach size cookies (1.5" in diam) out in the boat and say good bye to roaches, ants and all other sorts of bugs.

[cruisersfarm]

Honestly, in my experience, the best way to get rid of spiders and everything else aside frpm roaches is to use the boat.

If you cruise for a week or 2, stay anchored out, you remove the food source for the spiders, which is flies.

It's also very dry with all the hatches open. Spiders hate that.

When my boat launched, I had mosquitoes breeding in standing water and biting me, black widows, orb weavers, a couple cockroaches and small gnats.

After a couple weeks at sea (and immediately getting rid of the mosquito breeding grounds), there isn't a bit of life on here but me.

No chemicals. Just bug free salt air.

[Skuzzlebutt]

For chemical solution, don't use store-bought stuff. It's generally very weak, ineffective. I found this site: DoMyOwnPestControl.com with good advice, effective products at good prices. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

[autumnbreeze27]

In the late afternoon you can see spider webs trailing from all of our standing rigging, and we sail a lot. Mexican spiders, they only bite the wife so far.

As for the bug-a-salt, it's a trick, don't buy one. I did, but my wife doesn't let me use it, doesn't want salt all over the boat! Grr!

[zeehag]

mexican veterinarians stock some amazingly strong poison that kills all that walks, flies or crawls. good ****., is my favorite bug killing approach. and i hope the gekkos find a safe place when i use it. it also lasts 6 months, per literature, but 4 months in reality.
gotta love mexico. no epa to protect the citizens from selves.

[Rockyscience]

"Sticky Traps" knock them down good and the little bugs they are after.