Wifey No Likey Spiders

[captjj]

need to repell spiders in our little pocket cruiser tha we keep docked in the midwest on lake michigan please comment and advise

[ssanzone]

besides buying a snake?

Cats lots to kill spiders (when u r tired of the cat, i will feed it to my dogs)

Get rid of all cardboard on board



Scatter eucalyptus leaves(especially in darker corners (closets etc))
if none of that does the trick, get a new wife


gl.


-steve

[captjj]

was really not the answer i was hoping for, as my wife is my lottery winner of life for me and is is the keel of my existence but thanks any way capt jj

[ssanzone]

snarky comments aside...

i did provide 3 tested, tried, and true solutions to spider management...

just saying
-s

[MermaidMuse]

Are the spiders coming aboard while you are actively using the boat, or do they move in while it is unattended?

I'd suggest using one of the herbal insect repellants that are made essential oils, like citrus, eucalyptus, peppermint etc. You might need to sample several different brands to find one with a smell that *you* can tolerate.

I have heard from some homesteaders of my acquaintance that the Osage orange fruit (aka Hedge apples) are a natural spider repellant. They place the fruits in the corners of the house and garage and then throw them out and replace them once they've dried out.

Have you considered bringing along one of those battery powered hand vacuums that have a long extension tube just in case?

[goboatingnow]

I use NIPPON ANT aerosol
Nippon Ant & Crawling Insect Killer – Aerosol | Vitax

dont know if you can get it in the US. But its the best thing for spiders ever. It kills them in seconds and they drop out of hiding places. It leaves a residual that keeps them away for 8 weeks. when I had a boat in freshwater, it was the best thing ever. Zero spiders ( just go hunting at dusk)

( i dont mind the spiders, its their crap that annoys me)

Dave

[captainKJ]

if none of that does the trick, get a new wife


I volunteer to take the old one for you.


its their crap that annoys me


Helps add traction to the deck when underway

[captjj]

thanks all will try them out.I and WIFEY will let ya all know.Really nice site this is and found by accident. Capt JJ and First mate LAURIE

[zeehag]

good poison spray works great. i dont like them either. a broom also works to kill em with..

[Matt Johnson]

Ortho Home Defense Max spray works well for us. It's amazing... you spray the stuff all around the toerail of the boat, and two days latter, spiders are coming out to die all over the place. They stay off for about a month and then you need to reapply.

[River Cruiser]

+1 on the Home Defense. I go around the boat after dark with a flashlight and spray all that are out. During the day spray under the rub rail, engine vents, pulpit, & dock lines. About every 2 weeks keeps them at bay, always a new batch waiting to try their luck.

[Boracay]

We have a few spiders on Boracay, but they never seem to be about to take over.

I do make sure that food and water for their favourite prey (cockroaches) is kept to an absolute minimum.

[MikeinLA]

I'm with the wife. Spiders on the boat? I'm swimmin' home. This is why I love California. 25 years, never saw a single bug on my boat. Could be the cost of living that keeps them away.

Mike

[Bruce626]

Spiders eat mosquitoes - anything that eats mosquitoes should be considered a friend. Spiders are there because there is stuff to eat - often other insects that are more annoying than the spider. Perhaps if you anchored / moored further out the insect / spider cycle would taper off to levels that are acceptable to everyone. Spiders just want to eat, they rarely cause problems. Learning about the unique attributes of spiders and learning how to identify them may help the wife get over her fear.

Spider crap? Are we referring to webs? You must have exceedingly large spiders to actually see their fecal matter - I am not sure I have ever noticed this as a major problem.

[SaucySailoress]

OK, so this is the one advantage that good old fashioned dictionaries have over online ones... I never feel so comfortable slamming my laptop into a wall as I did the dictionary!