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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Spiders - I'm Trying Something That Seems To Work

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3429 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/14/2007 : 09:47:55

I have had a huge problem w/spiders on my boat...so far not an inside cabin concern but even if I clear them off of the lifelines, life ring/ladder and motor/mount areas, they are back the next day.

I asked in West Marine if they had anything and they all started laughing...indicating if I found something they would make a million dollars off of it. It made their day ! It must have been boring up to that conversation.

Well...I am trying out something I bought on the web:
Skeeter Defeaters Boat Spider Spray. It is non-toxic and does not stain. It appears to be a citronella oil based spray that you hook the bottle up to the water hose and you spray the boat. It is supposed to last for about 2 weeks.

I tried it for the first time about 8-9 days ago and it has reduced the spiders about 80-90% using about 25% of the bottole contents. I just sprayed it yesterday, again, and will check it when I get back from my 4-5 day business trip leaving early afternoon today. My thought is that if this works out, I may be able to minimize the spraying then concentrating on only the areas where the spiders are mostly found. Right now, I am spraying the whole boat basically in one shot with minor repeated areas.

I will report back the results.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - on

EAbrams
Navigator

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USA
130 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2007 : 13:08:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 

Well...I am trying out something I bought on the web:

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
No pun intended??????

Edited by - EAbrams on 10/14/2007 13:09:03

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 14:15:46

What I do is go to the boat after dark with a flashlight and kill them while they are making their webs. They all come out after dark and are very easy to find. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Captain Ballast
1st Mate

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USA
38 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 19:33:48

I have to clean coutless bloodstains of healthy boat spiders every sail. Let me know what kind of results you get.

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 23:48:57

I'm on a mooring ball, 50 feet from the nearest boat, and 100 feet from shore. I still don't know how they get out to my boat.
I have to row out there, and I know spiders don't have wings...I just don't get it.
If I knew how they got out there, I think I might be able to do something proactive about them. A couple weeks ago they built a web around my wind vane and consequently my vane wouldn't turn freely for the first half hour of our sail.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2007 : 11:23:55

Young spiders can "fly" by shooting a stream of silk in the air and letting the wind pick them up and carry them quite some distance.

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2007 : 13:28:30

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Young spiders can "fly" by shooting a stream of silk in the air and letting the wind pick them up and carry them quite some distance.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I figured it had to be something like that. Nefarious critters. I'll have to come up with some sort of spider Ack-Ack. If Hopper can have torpedos, I can have Ack-Ack.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2007 : 13:42:51

This year I decided THE SPIDERS MUST DIE!

Well, actually the Admiral got bit by one and so I got the assignment...

I bought a spray called Hot Shot that kills spiders and last for several months. I sprayed the transom and outboard all over because there are a lot of nooks and crannies there. The spiders came out of their hiding places, gave me dirty looks, and dropped into the lake dead. I also sprayed the rub rail and the lines at the dock cleats (we leave our lines at the dock) to stop the spiders from climbing up the lines. I had no staining from the product.

Result was very few spiders for a couple of months. I will do this same thing next year.

Also we remove items we don't use. For instance we rarely use the bimini but spiders love to live in the folded bimini. That put them near the Admiral's head! Bimini is now in the basement.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3429 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2007 : 09:31:09

Randy,

I will have to keep Hot Shot in mind. I suspect that Hot Shot has toxic properties even if non-staining. May be a concern for some especially if trying to comply with non-pollution of waterways. However, you probably use little of it if it is in a spray can form. If tyoxic, then there is the thought that touching the ladder or the outboard bracket would then get it onto hands and not realize it. Still....works months ! I'm tempted to look into it further.

Okay ...Skeeter Defeater Status Report: Non-toxic, non-staining, Citronella oil based bottle that is hooked up to the water hose.

After 1st week: over 80% reduction in spiders/spider webs.
Sprayed again after about 9 days, then went on business trip for a week. Friday night we had a lot of rain. Checked out boat yesterday and .... compared to no treatments, 70% reduction in spiders/spider webs. But could see them reforming on the outboard motor bracket, under the solar panel and just a bit on the ladder. None anywhere from transom forward. Only on transom areas. So...I will respray but this time concentrating mostly on the transom. Also may spray dock/finger slip a bit and see if that helps.

Right now, I am not completely satisfied but if I can get this non-toxic product to work for at least 2 weeks with significant reduction in spiders, then I will be happy. The liquid costs about $13 plus shipping. If used on whole boat, that would be enough for 4 light treatments and about 1 1/2 - 2 months use if it lasts 2 weeks minimum each shot. If used only on transom and bow areas which are where the spiders mainly are then the bottle will last a lot longer and that would be acceptable as long as I can get 2 weeks between sprayings and not cause this to be too costly and bothersome by having to apply too frequently.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2007 : 10:35:44

I sprayed the stern area a week ago using the Hot Shot Spider spray. Happy to say that the stern area is 90% better, however now there is an unusual amount of webs up the mast!

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2007 : 11:54:40

Seems like with such a heavy infestation of spiders one must determine where one definitly doesn't want the creatures and then spray there. Everywhere else is spiderville.

By the way where are ya'll living that there are so many spiders...I'll make it a point to give ya a wide birth.

Val on Calista, #3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2007 : 22:07:20

Here is a good thread.

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16134& SearchTerms=spiders

The spiders float on the water and as they swirl around the transom (on mooring) they are able to climb up. Stop them from getting on your transom and you got them beat.

Cynoff powder is my choice. I have no spiders.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3429 Posts

Response Posted - 10/21/2007 : 22:08:00

I definitely do not want spiders where the sun doesn't shine...but I am not about to dose myself with a spider spray.

So...the Hot Shot chased the spiders up the mast ! I guess that is better from the spider's point of view than "walking the plank". Did any of them have a patch over one eye or walk with peglegs ?

Edited by - on

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