Identify this boat insect

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

Do they "POP" when squeezed?
Just wondering.....
LOL

Yup.. a messy pop, blood everywhere.
At my boarding school in Pakistan we used to put a bar of unscented soap between the sheets to draw them out if we suspected bites were other than mosquitoes.
They'd gather round the soap and could then be squidged.

[Qayaq]

Think its a book louse, had them for for 2 or 3 years, tryed all sorts to get rid of them. Eventually put a bug bomb under the the floors (my boats got a liner) in the keel hollow and set it off. Took a while, like a month but I havnt seen one for a while. Yay.

[gamayun]

Google "termite reproduction" and look at the nymph stage. That's what I think it is.

[conchaway]

We used to call them sea roaches. They don't hurt anything.

[plumqik]

Originally Posted by coopec43

You might be able to identify the insect here:


https://www.google.com.au/search?q=b...w=1070&bih=609


How to Keep Spiders and Insect Mess Out of Your Boat

https://pontoonopedia.com/keep-spide...s-out-of-boat/

How could you kill this little fella!

WITH A HAMMER!

[CdS2 Roland]

Hello,
Do you have little red spots on your skin?
If yes, you may be bite by a bedbug.
Very difficult to eliminate. Search on internet. Two methods deep freezing or heating over 60°C.
Be careful not to contaminate your home.
Good luck.

[CaptRory]

Catch a few, take them to your local extension agent or university entomology dept. If they were bed bugs, you would probably know it.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Jeeze guys, can't you recognize a common Polyestermite when you see one? Really?

This is exaclty what they are. If left on their own, they multiply into thousands, infiltrate the laminate and eventually turn it into a powdery substance that is no longer waterproof. The insurance companies are now demanding proof of polyestermite clearance issued from a reputable pest control company. Get rid of them quick.

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by coopec43

How could you kill this little fella!

Scuttle the boat and collect the insurance check.

[category4jay]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Jeeze guys, can't you recognize a common Polyestermite when you see one? Really?

L M A O !!

[vwkevin]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Very helpful! I suspect I am actually dealing with the book louse here. These things are tiny and uniform in size, and I think my magnified photo threw some people off. I had discovered a lot of rotting, wet anchor rope in a poorly ventilated hatch that could have been the original food source. I removed it about a month ago but the bugs have hung around. Strangely, they have not been noticed in the living area, but I am now running a Davis Air-Dryr unit that might be keeping things too dry. Anyway, I'm still looking for removal tips short of a bug bomb (though this may be the best option). Not sure how that would go down in my marina...

[Neeltje]

Sure looks like a baby cockroach to me. If so, they're harmless. Here in Florida, we like to call them "Palmetto Bugs". It's cuter, and if you find one that's more than 3" long, don't squish him, feed him. He could eventually win you $5000 at the annual Palmetto Bug Beauty Contest in Tampa.

[CaptGLC]

They are water roaches. You can use Advion Cockroach Bait Arenas. Any exterminator can supply you with them

[Georgiamarie]

It is not a termite, it is a Stink Bug. They are harmless except they smell. Do not squash one, then it will really stink.

[Juggerknot]

You can try peppermint oil or citronella.