Wife Hates Bugs !

[Clinton]

My wife and I are working towards becoming liveaboards. We’ve made a plan and everything is working towards our goal; however, my wife is phobic about bugs, particularly cockroaches. She’s read that roaches can be a problem on some boats. I imagine this has to do with how you’re living, where you’re located and if the boat sits empty for long periods - just like a house.

To be fair to my wife, she’s one of the toughest people I know. If we came onboard to find ninjas or rattlesnakes, she’d be fine. Heaven forbid she sees a roach.

We’ll be in a marina in Kemah, TX. What's your experience been?

[Mexdon]

Read through this thread and you will pick up some ideas of how to get roaches aboard and then how to get rid of them.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...oat-83371.html

[Sailmonkey]

Keep a clean boat and you should have no bug problem. This includes not bringing cardboard boxes aboard from unknown locales. We've had maybe 3-4 roaches i'm aware of on as many years. We have had spiders, but that was from hitting a tree.

[JanetGroene]

Stuff happens, so it would be really useful if your wife could get over any irrational fears. All the above tips are great. A lot depends on where you cruise and if you have a wet or dry bilge. Probably the best tip is to treat the boat before you move on board, when all lockers, nooks and crannies are clean and empty.

[Clinton]

The link to the other thread was great. Thanks for the heads up.

[zeehag]

spray works.

welcome.

i dont much like bugs, either.

[Noname]

The big-box hardware stores sell "Home-Defense" sprays that pretty much immobilizes "la cucarachas" among other unwelcome tiny critters. Port and hatch screens are a physical deterrent for the bitey bugs. Its relatively easy to eradicate the pesty ones.

[callmecrazy]

I really love my bugbuster companionway screen. The great thing about it is you don't ever have to remove it. Just push it aside to get in or out of the companionway, and slide it back in place. The mozzies hate me. They spend all day hovering about but never make it inside the boat

As for roaches, they don't care whether it's a boat or a house. If you can keep your house roach free, you can do it on the boat just as well. Probably even easier on a boat, since it's not on land 'n stuff... Just keep it clean.

The main problem comes with travelling. You don't know if the grocery you just shopped at had roaches or not. Chances are they did... That's where the whole cardboard box thing comes into play. Great places for them to hide and procreate. If you're on the move, just remove boxed stuff before it gets on the boat and toss the boxes. If you're tied to a marina that has roaches, spread some borax around the dock cleats

[bstreep]

I think I posted this in the other thread. But, my wife is the same way.

I'm now going to reach over and knock on some wood ("touch wood" for you non-Americans). We've used "Roach Pruf" for years (boric acid), and we've NEVER had a roach on the boat. 1 year in Kemah, 4 years in Corpus Christi/Port Aransas. She re-applies it about every 2 years in all of the hull spaces.

[Cheechako]

in 3 years in Fl and Carribean, we got a cockroach infestation toward the end. Well... at least one of them anyway. Wouldnt know he was there except I'd sem him flash across the galley counter out of the corner of my eye. Be carefull and you will have far less bug problems on a boat than a house that's for sure!

[boden36]

I spent many years working as a hypnotherapist.
I loved phobias, as people are so inventive in the way they construct them.
In many cases it is a simple matter to resolve a phobia using hypnosis, as phobics are usually excellent subjects.
Your therapist may use systematic desensitisation coupled with imagery, regression (my favourite and quickest method) or flooding.
Just make sure you find an appropriately qualified and well regarded therapist and you should be very happy with the results.

Regards,
Richard.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by boden36

Just make sure you find an appropriately qualified and well regarded therapist and you should be very happy with the results.
.

Love the bugs?

[Heinous]

I guess it depends where you are. I've been living aboard for two years and have never had a bug on the boat, aside from a few gnats temporarily living in my mint plant that were swiftly dispatched.

[capngeo]

I've noticed that slips co-located with a restaurant have more incidence of the little devils. I like these to fog the boat once a month.

[svBeBe]

Now in our 7th year of full-time cruising (mostly in the tropics where bugs are prevalent), and the only time we have seen a cockroach on our boat was one night in Antigua when a huge one flew in the open companionway. Squashed that sucker in less than a heartbeat.

As others have pointed out, bring no cardboard aboard or paper grocery sacks. We remove all paper commercial packaging (like breakfast cereal boxes) or anything that might contain glue which harbors roach eggs. Wash all fruits and veggies before bringing aboard or at least submerge them briefly into a bucket of fresh water on the stern as you unload the dinghy when at anchor. You would be surprised at how many bugs find their way into your boat (or home) on produce -- even produce from large supermarkets.

If you pick up books at popular exchanges where cruisers congregate, best to spray each well with roach spray and let dry in the sun for a few days before bringing inside your boat.

Judy