Keeping Pests Out

[Cyrus Safdari]

When brining new things onto the boat -- particularly provisioning with perishables purchased in local markets -- what steps do you take to ensure that no unwanted guests or critters are introducted into the boat? I suppose a stalk of bananas can be dipped into the sea before coming aboard, but what other things should people watch out for? People for example store rice in airtight containers in freezers to keep the weevils from hatching but can't really do that on a boat with not much room in the icebox

[SVTatia]

No cardboard boxes, they could be storing roach eggs.
But... in Bermuda I got roaches using the dock lines to come aboard when tied to the wall (free). Had to spray the lines every night.

[Cyrus Safdari]

Yeah I've heard various solutions to pests using docklines too. Some swear by putting vaseline one the lines but I'm not sure if that's such a good idea nevermind the slipperiness but I'm kinda sure it damages the lines too.

[tamicatana]

The Boat Galley

here's your answers

[JanetGroene]

Different pests. Different solutions. I once had a problem with ants coming up dock lines and into the galley. A steady army. I dipped a damp sponge in a mixture of half borax and half sugar and kept it at the places where the lines met the boat. They went for the sugar, were killed by the borax. End of that problem.

[zeehag]

i use a lot of bug spray. cardboard within reason--the squooshed flat stuff doesnt carry eggies of cucarocha-- i have yet to have a problem with that bringing in roaches.
i watch them flying--is biggest reason for roaches on boat--THEY FLY and they crawl up lines. spray everything big time.
borax doesnt workin wet bilges. use spray.
the roach hotels work to a degree only. use spray also.
i spray docklines, decks, coach house roof, dinghy lines, oars, paddles--EVERYTHING. even the pilings and docks near my boat. it works.

i am in roachville--i have none in my boat and never did--has been sprayed to within an inch of ita life. NO BUGS.....i do have a gekko on my coach house roof....but no bugs at all.

so if your cereal comes in a cardboard box-- dont get yer panties in a twist--aint gonna bring ye roaches. bananas--havent had a problem yet--but i look 'em over carefully and dont bring hands of em on board..spozed to be bad luck..LOL

in gom there were more flying red roaches--and thy eat candle wax and wiring. i saw the holes .... had to spray dickens out of that boat--but it was only thing that worked. glad it wasnt my boat..!!!

everyone is sooo nervous about bringing roaches into boat by cardboard--AINT HAPPENING. they FLY..and gain entry with their wings flying to the light by which you read in darkness. isnt the cardboard. mebbe corrugated cardboard--but not the squooshed into flatness stuff serving as boxes and containers. roach eggies ar large things.

[SmartMove]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i use a lot of bug spray. cardboard within reason--the squooshed flat stuff doesnt carry eggies of cucarocha-- i have yet to have a problem with that bringing in roaches.
i watch them flying--is biggest reason for roaches on boat--THEY FLY and they crawl up lines. spray everything big time.
borax doesnt workin wet bilges. use spray.
the roach hotels work to a degree only. use spray also.
i spray docklines, decks, coach house roof, dinghy lines, oars, paddles--EVERYTHING. even the pilings and docks near my boat. it works.

i am in roachville--i have none in my boat and never did--has been sprayed to within an inch of ita life. NO BUGS.....i do have a gekko on my coach house roof....but no bugs at all.

so if your cereal comes in a cardboard box-- dont get yer panties in a twist--aint gonna bring ye roaches. bananas--havent had a problem yet--but i look 'em over carefully and dont bring hands of em on board..spozed to be bad luck..LOL

in gom there were more flying red roaches--and thy eat candle wax and wiring. i saw the holes .... had to spray dickens out of that boat--but it was only thing that worked. glad it wasnt my boat..!!!

everyone is sooo nervous about bringing roaches into boat by cardboard--AINT HAPPENING. they FLY..and gain entry with their wings flying to the light by which you read in darkness. isnt the cardboard. mebbe corrugated cardboard--but not the squooshed into flatness stuff serving as boxes and containers. roach eggies ar large things.

Zee, I curious if you worry about Bubba licking up some of the bug spray? We depart to board Smart Move September 1 and are bringing our two cats Lilly and Chloe. I lived in Hawaii for a few years and had to deal with roaches, we has a dog then. We used roach hotels and brought in geckos to live in the house, it helped to a degree but we could never get rid of them.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Cyrus Safdari

.......................-- what steps do you take to ensure that no unwanted guests or critters are introducted into the boat? .....................

I find it best not to wave at them when they are passing by in their dinghy. .....Oh, If you're just concernd with vermin, then the cardboard and packaging should be avoided. We keep an array of the "roach motels" tucked away in the depths and corners.

[Stingo]

This is not always an easy solution, especially if you don't have a freezer. Nevertheless, it is possible. I bought all my dry (and I mean all, including washing powder, sugar, rice, pasta ~ that long, long list) provisions from my local friendly supermarket and arranged for them to keep it in their freezer for three days. In theory, this freezes any weevil eggs which means they never hatch because, I am told, the molecular structure changes when frozen. When I collected them, I re-canted everything into sterilised and dried 2 litre Coke Cola bottles. It must be a Coke bottle because it is UV resistant and waterproof.

Now when I stock up again, everything goes into my freezer, which keeps it nice and full (so it works better). It is re-canted into the Coke bottles at a convenient time.

[Stingo]

p.s. One of the best things about this method is that IF something goes off or is raided by a squadron of weevils, only 2 litres of your valuable provisions become fish food.

[zeehag]

i have had no problem with unwanted food eaters--and i did no precious and special anything before i left. some pasta is 3 yrs old--yes i will either use or toss as i see fit--no bugs--lotsa preservatives in usa products,
btw-is mexican pasta grows bugs and doesnt have as many preservatives added....
addendum--i did have to throw away one package of maneschewitz pea soup--was with a bug--but that was in san diego--nothing bad since, and i have lots of that soup mix..LOL--staples.
be careful with roachmotels--they are toys for cats--place into places wherein gato doesnt and cannot go even when scared. nothing like a dead scared kat in ahole humans cannot access..

bubba doesnt go into anywhere the spray is we--he goes into boat after is dry and not harmful to my critter....even the super killer stuff doesnt hurt him thank goodness....if i wait one hour after spraying to let him into boat interior--same with people....

borax is not good for cats to ingest either--is exactly why i use spray. if it works in a mexican school room, or a mexican restaurant, it WILL work on boat.

[Astrid]

I like to use Pyrethrin, which is safe around pets, people, birds, and fish, but effective against a wide variety of pests.

[zeehag]

pyrethrin is good but not easily found in mexico -- unless you frequent certain places-- janitorial services and veterinarians....in homeless depot ye find ortho, which does good job in maintaining bug free environment

[holmek]

No cardboard on board EVER. Eggs in the corrugations, etc, - row out in the dinghy, unpack into the dinghy and then pass up the provisions to the boat. Rice, flour etc can be heated in the oven for a bit to kill off any bugs and eggs. If your organic provisions are not treated and do not support any bugs, then you don't want to eat them either, the bugs know what is worth eating and what is not, ! !

[Cyrus Safdari]

I've heard the microwaving rice also kills the weevil eggs in them.
My dad swore by putting out a cup of vinegar to attract bugs that then drowned.