I am new to the sailing scene and just recently (1 month ago) purchased a 1989 Catalina 30. I am having a great time getting familiar with it but one thing that I am wondering is if there is an ideal way to repel mosquitoes and other bugs? Im usually away during the weekdays and when I come back on the weekend there are always what seems to be new cobwebs and fly nests etc especially near the port windows, helm, etc. Just wondering if there is something that I can do to repel them for the season while it is moored. Thank you, Paul.
Mosquitoes and Other bugs
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jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,359
Welcome Paul, to SBO forums. Congratulations on your new to you boat.
One solution would be to move your boat to the PacificNW. We are generally bug free. No “No See’ems” none to few mosquitoes
and spiders have not been an issue.
I would chat with local boaters in the marina to se what they of to limit bugs on their boats.
One solution would be to move your boat to the PacificNW. We are generally bug free. No “No See’ems” none to few mosquitoes
and spiders have not been an issue.I would chat with local boaters in the marina to se what they of to limit bugs on their boats.
I will try asking around, thank youWelcome Paul, to SBO forums. Congratulations on your new to you boat.
One solution would be to move your boat to the PacificNW. We are generally bug free. No “No See’ems” none to few mosquitoes
I would chat with local boaters in the marina to se what they of to limit bugs on their boats.
Spiders are a fact of life in a freshwater marina. After 40 years of Great Lakes boating and a decade living on a lake shore, it is most important to not fall behind in spider control. Start spider control before launch and don't let them get a toe hold. Once the first generation lays eggs, the population will explode.
There are environmentally safer insecticides, I use Terro brand products (their ant killer also works well). Spray the inside of the boat and pay particular attention to nooks and crannies where spiders like to hide during the day. Typically I'll do this a couple of times before launch at the end of the day before I leave. Likewise get spray the areas where you find webs on the outside. They love to hide under sail covers, in the hems of Bimini's and dodgers, under the edge of Genoa tracks and numerous other areas where they can hide during the day.
Spiders also have a penchant for the rigging, especially near the mast head. There are lots of places for them to anchor their webs and they can hide in the mast head. Unless you're willing to climb the mast on a regular basis, these lucky spiders get a pass and we get to see gossamer threads of spider silk flowing from the mast head as we sail.
A less toxic method of spider control is a vacuum cleaner. Suck them up and their webs. At dusk they will expose themselves as they drop down from their hiding places, take this opportunity to suck them up or bathe them in Terro.
You will not win this battle until the first frost, at which point the sailing season is about over. The goal is population control, not eradication. As part of the process of preparing the boat for a weekend stay walking around the deck clearing the webs with a duster will become part of the routine. However with good population control, you will have fewer encounters with gossamer threads sticking to your face.
Disclaimer: As a rule we do not use insecticides, herbicides, and similar chemicals around the house or boat. However, there are very limited exceptions, like spiders on the boat. There are plenty of excellent spider habitats just yards from Second Star and which are much safer for the spiders and their beloved off spring. I like to encourage them to move to those more desirable areas.
There is one other method of spider annihilation that I can not recommend around boats. Discovered by a group of young men many years ago when moving into a lakeside dorm. A dorm which might have been best described as a spider megalopolis. The method? An aerosol can flame thrower. Quick, effective, and clean the incinerated corpses were vanquished. Spray deodorants, like Right Guard, used a flammable gas as a propellant, sprayed over a lit cigarette lighter the flame engulfed the intruders repelling the invasion.
Good Luck!
There are environmentally safer insecticides, I use Terro brand products (their ant killer also works well). Spray the inside of the boat and pay particular attention to nooks and crannies where spiders like to hide during the day. Typically I'll do this a couple of times before launch at the end of the day before I leave. Likewise get spray the areas where you find webs on the outside. They love to hide under sail covers, in the hems of Bimini's and dodgers, under the edge of Genoa tracks and numerous other areas where they can hide during the day.
Spiders also have a penchant for the rigging, especially near the mast head. There are lots of places for them to anchor their webs and they can hide in the mast head. Unless you're willing to climb the mast on a regular basis, these lucky spiders get a pass and we get to see gossamer threads of spider silk flowing from the mast head as we sail.
A less toxic method of spider control is a vacuum cleaner. Suck them up and their webs. At dusk they will expose themselves as they drop down from their hiding places, take this opportunity to suck them up or bathe them in Terro.
You will not win this battle until the first frost, at which point the sailing season is about over. The goal is population control, not eradication. As part of the process of preparing the boat for a weekend stay walking around the deck clearing the webs with a duster will become part of the routine. However with good population control, you will have fewer encounters with gossamer threads sticking to your face.
Disclaimer: As a rule we do not use insecticides, herbicides, and similar chemicals around the house or boat. However, there are very limited exceptions, like spiders on the boat. There are plenty of excellent spider habitats just yards from Second Star and which are much safer for the spiders and their beloved off spring. I like to encourage them to move to those more desirable areas.
There is one other method of spider annihilation that I can not recommend around boats. Discovered by a group of young men many years ago when moving into a lakeside dorm. A dorm which might have been best described as a spider megalopolis. The method? An aerosol can flame thrower. Quick, effective, and clean the incinerated corpses were vanquished. Spray deodorants, like Right Guard, used a flammable gas as a propellant, sprayed over a lit cigarette lighter the flame engulfed the intruders repelling the invasion.
Good Luck!
The short answer is no.
There are measures you can take but if the bugs are on the boat more than you, you're fighting an uphill battle. When the Sun catches the backstay just right, anyone would be amazed at the number of spider threads streaming back.
There are measures you can take but if the bugs are on the boat more than you, you're fighting an uphill battle. When the Sun catches the backstay just right, anyone would be amazed at the number of spider threads streaming back.
Welcome !!
Inside the cabin, I use No Pest Strips. (big box or Amazon or Ace) They pretty much kill all bugs and are the only things I've found to be effective in keeping the mud daubers out .. Put a couple in the cabin when you leave and put them in a zip lock bag when you return open up and air out after they are in the zip lock. They last a couple/three months .. Outside, something with bifenthrin usually does a good job of repelling and killing spiders. (Home Defense is one, there are others) . It should be put in places (like under rub strips ) where the rain will not wash it away.. There are some spider-specific sprays that have residual effects.. I have used some under the bimini to keep them at bay.. Here in south Louisiana, with a slip on a wooded bayou, bugs are a constant problem.
Mosquitos when on board are dealt with by screens and with Thermacell devices. They emit a smell that kills 'em and keeps them away.
Portable | Thermacell.. Amazon, Wally Woild, Depot, etc.
Inside the cabin, I use No Pest Strips. (big box or Amazon or Ace) They pretty much kill all bugs and are the only things I've found to be effective in keeping the mud daubers out .. Put a couple in the cabin when you leave and put them in a zip lock bag when you return open up and air out after they are in the zip lock. They last a couple/three months .. Outside, something with bifenthrin usually does a good job of repelling and killing spiders. (Home Defense is one, there are others) . It should be put in places (like under rub strips ) where the rain will not wash it away.. There are some spider-specific sprays that have residual effects.. I have used some under the bimini to keep them at bay.. Here in south Louisiana, with a slip on a wooded bayou, bugs are a constant problem.
Mosquitos when on board are dealt with by screens and with Thermacell devices. They emit a smell that kills 'em and keeps them away.
Portable | Thermacell.. Amazon, Wally Woild, Depot, etc.
IMO, close up the boat and “bomb” a couple of times a month when the problem is below decks.
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John, “no-see-ums” in the southeast vernacular.Welcome Paul, to SBO forums. Congratulations on your new to you boat.
One solution would be to move your boat to the PacificNW. We are generally bug free. No “No See’ems” none to few mosquitoes
I would chat with local boaters in the marina to se what they of to limit bugs on their boats.
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jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,359
Thank you all for some great responses! I will try a few of these.. it will probably be a combination of strategies to make things work. I am also thinking of setting up some time of mosquito net.. just have to figure out how to suspend it over the cockpit.
A fan is an effective mosquito detergent. Mosquitos like still air, an oscillating fan blowing air across the cockpit will keep them at bay.
Spider away got good reviews from Practical Sailor. I just started using it. Does anyone know if it affects stain and water resistance of canvas?
Do these have a smell detectable by humans? Would it work on a boom to keep bugs away while the sailcover is on or inside a lifesling bag?
No Pest Strips do have a detectable smell when first opened.. but that is why ya should put them in a sealed bag when you are on board.
The Thermacells in the cockpit have to be placed upwind in eddies so the mosquitoes in those eddies have an incentive to depart..
On our bayou, I've heard some mosquitoes discussing carrying me back to their nest... but the other one said that the big ones would take me away for themselves.
The Thermacells in the cockpit have to be placed upwind in eddies so the mosquitoes in those eddies have an incentive to depart..
On our bayou, I've heard some mosquitoes discussing carrying me back to their nest... but the other one said that the big ones would take me away for themselves.
Meticulous maintenance and use of screens for all cabin openings works well against mosquitoes. I also spray repellent in the crack between the companionway screen and top hatch. Then we go inside when they come in the evening. But we don't get them very often here in the Lake Erie Islands. Some marinas spray to suppress them, and they often don't find us downwind of shore when we anchor.
Spiders are a different story. If we find one inside, or around the cockpit, I grab it and throw it overboard downwind. Otherwise, we are live and let live. The web spinners common here don't have jaws strong enough to penetrate our skin, so the are just a nuisance. At the cabin where we vacation in the Thousand Islands, we sit on the porch and watch the spiders spin their webs below the roof as the sun sets.
I use a spray on mud daubers, but they only come aboard in the spring every few years.
Spiders are a different story. If we find one inside, or around the cockpit, I grab it and throw it overboard downwind. Otherwise, we are live and let live. The web spinners common here don't have jaws strong enough to penetrate our skin, so the are just a nuisance. At the cabin where we vacation in the Thousand Islands, we sit on the porch and watch the spiders spin their webs below the roof as the sun sets.
I use a spray on mud daubers, but they only come aboard in the spring every few years.
I usually buy a No-Pest strip, cut a few pieces off to put in my propane lockers and lazzarette. Then Inhang the rest in the cabin in its little plastic holder.
I don’t know if it does much, but it makes me feel like I am doing something.
Miss Muffet and other spider sprays are helpful too.
I have also put dryer sheets in various lockers, under my sail cover, in winch pockets, under my helm cover. I think while they put out some scent, they drive out spiders. But they lose their effectiveness quickly.
Greg
I don’t know if it does much, but it makes me feel like I am doing something.
Miss Muffet and other spider sprays are helpful too.
I have also put dryer sheets in various lockers, under my sail cover, in winch pockets, under my helm cover. I think while they put out some scent, they drive out spiders. But they lose their effectiveness quickly.
Greg
Anyone have any experience using a commercial insecticide and spraying everywhere? Full treatment.. all interior and exterior. I dont see why it wouldnt be as much if not more effective than residential use. Its a smaller area and easier to treat than a home.