Arachnophobia

[deejames]

Anybody else got a spider problem ? My boat's in Chichester, and for many years, I have shared it with several large colonies of small spiders. They don't do any damage or cause any trouble, and they stay mostly outside. I'm reluctant to squash them or spray them with something nasty, but if I could persuade them to take up residence elsewhere, it would stop the boat looking like something out of a Hammer Horror movie - particularly during these Autumn months when the dew sticks to all the webs so carefully woven all over the cockpit.
Any ideas ?

deejames

 

[Twister_Ken]

Lesser of two weevils

Birds eat spiders.

Of course, you then get decks full of bird poo.

 

[deejames]

Re: Lesser of two weevils

Birds in Chichester don't eat spiders, they eat something made from a mixture of Araldite and red fruit. It may also contain a small amount of ex-lax, judging from the amount that seems to end up on the deck !

deejames

 

[Guest]

I bought a little battery powered spider repeller from Nauticalia for a tenner or so. Seems to work a treat inside the cockpit/under the covers. So now the buggers just infest the rails/fenders.

 

[peterg]

you can get Spider Repellent from...

Lakeland (formerly Lakeland Plastics) in Windermere or their stores around the country (eg Guildford). We use it in the house at this time of year as living next to fields we get loads indoors otherwise and my wife has a friend who literally hyper-ventilates when she sees one (especially BIG ones like we get!)

 

[deejames]

Hi Graham,
I like your picture of the battery powered spider repeller, but I was hoping for something a little more portable !

deejames

 

[ROSSCO]

I find the most effective solution is a South American Spider Eating Sloth. The only downside is it can take a time to get it down from the rigging and , on a number of occaisions, I have missed the outgoing tide as a result.

 

[KrisHansen]

I've just come back from a week on the Broads, having a terrible time capturing the largest of arachnids which seemed to manage to cling to the mainsheet when I was having a job keeping hold of it myself. So I say "Bring on more spiders!! Save crewing costs in high winds!!"


- Kris Hansen

 

[Guest]

See an optician, immediately! The picture is my petrol powered hairdryer.

 

[jamesjermain]

Use for spiders

Why not collect them all up, put them in a large box and tell them to get on with weaving you a light airs genny!

JJ

 

[Guest]

Iwent to a customers house recently and found that she had saucers in each room with 4 or 5 conkers in each. When I asked her why she said that this keeps away spiders. Since starting this some three years ago she has not seen one spider. If you check out the ingredients of so-called "spider repellant" you will find that chestnut is always included. As the conker season is now in full swing I would suggest that you fend off the small kids and collect a few for your boat - nothing to loose and very environmentally friendly.

 

[Footpad]

Live & Let

"If you want to live and thrive; let a spider stay alive" Learn to love them.