False Widows

[TonyBuckley]

No not ladies who are 'pretending' to have deceased hubbies.

I found three of these spiders on my boat today - all seem male as small but I did not look closely as they were squished. Not exactly an infestation, but I would like to get rid.

No idea where they are finding their food in a closed Winter cabin.

Lovely creatures but I would rather not carry the risk of being bitten.

How do I deal?

 

[VicS]

Not one of these then

 

[Leighb]

No, those are Scottish Widows.

 

[Seajet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88Z7YOh_us

Sorry about naughty word.

I don't like spiders at all; I don't mean them any harm - well not the small ones - but on a boat it's them or me.

Some people say conkers left around put them off but that presumes they came in a tender.

 

[robmcg]

http://www.force4.co.uk/7625/Starbrite-Spider-Away.html

Will discourage their return!

 

[TonyBuckley]

http://www.force4.co.uk/7625/Starbrite-Spider-Away.html

Will discourage their return!

Have you tried this? There is no 'away' but I thought that about them coming on board in the first place - don't understand how they can travel so easily. I read a story about an infestation in Telford of these creatures. That's quite far North.

Thinking of spraying a killing spray but don't like those things.

 

[Spuddy]

Someone who otherwise struck me as quite sensible said they chuck a few horsechestnuts in a corner of room and it keeps spiders away. Can't see it mtself

 

[Searush]

Conkers didn't work in our house, but spiders aren't a pest or a problem, they eat flies which are a pest & a potential problem. Your overwintered boat is probably full of flies also trying to over winter. I remember leaving a sail under a cover one winter, when I went to hoist the sail hundreds of dead flies fell out that had failed to over winter successfully.

 

[Seajet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h32m969zQCE

 

[Graham_Wright]

Somebody suggested lemon juice.

 

[TonyBuckley]

I can live with them I guess - only found a few small ones. But I do wonder how they got there. Flies I can understand, but these poor little spiders in a marina walking along pontoons and lines. Unless somehow I have introduced them; I have heard of cockroaches being introduced through cardboard packaging so maybe the same.

They can give a nasty nip but are not aggressive. After living in Oz for a couple of years and being infested with Red Backs and Huntsman spiders it is the least of my worries I guess.

 

[Ric]

No, those are Scottish Widows.

How many Mars Bars do they cost?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Spiders can migrate by air when young; they extrude a length of silk which catches the wind and off they go (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider)). It's how spiders (in general) manage to disperse their populations; as predators, you can't have too high a density in one place. So, preventing them coming aboard with the dinghy won't help much; you'll still get them aboard.

 

[ganter]

I found a couple living quite happily under my pushpit mounted outboard bracket when I removed it. I can only assume they came aboard from a piece of kit I bought onboard from the garage at home at some time or another.

I'm afraid I pointed to shoreline and with a boat hook 'assisted' the unwanted stowaways to swim for it.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

The tradition cure would be a bird but only if there is enough room for a cat, dog, goat, cow and horse of course!

 

[Lakesailor]

Spiders do fly as Antarcticpilot says. If you sail on a lake you can often see them land on the sail as you are ghosting along.

 

[pvb]

I hate spiders, and one of the attractions of boating is that (so far) I've rarely seen a spider on the boat. But I'm worried now, and my peripheral vision will be on red alert for furtive movements!
.

 

[TonyBuckley]

They were only teeny - 5p coin size and only bite if you interfere with them like rolling over into them.

Must admit that seeing a blown up pic of there jaws was not nice lol

Welcome to the new Uk. Crocodiles next.

 

[alahol2]

Spiders do fly as Antarcticpilot says. If you sail on a lake you can often see them land on the sail as you are ghosting along.

I wonder how many came aboard on this day...

 

[puddock]

Spiders can migrate by air when young; they extrude a length of silk which catches the wind and off they go (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballooning_(spider)). It's how spiders (in general) manage to disperse their populations; as predators, you can't have too high a density in one place. So, preventing them coming aboard with the dinghy won't help much; you'll still get them aboard.

[/I]
I recall leaning on the handrail off a rig, off the coast of Tunisia one evening. Suddenly, the air seemed full of fine silky threads - with tiny spiders attached ! Leave them alone though. They will do more good than harm