Spiders...how to discourage them as tenants?

[oldsaltoz]

Simple, move to Australia for a few months and after living with spiders that actually kill people you will be happy spending time with completely harmless ones. We only have about 3 of the most deadly in the world

Mind you take care not to play with the snakes though, we have the top 9 deadliest ones here.

I have only been bitten once in the last 50 years, it was a Red Backed spider. I still think the medication was worse than the bight. I slept for 10 hours and woke up just before the Yacht club bar closed.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[abraxus]

I cant stand spiders and so use a few sonic repellers (I have battery and mains ones) I got from Nauticalia. I also use the Amiral spider spray, which lasts for about three months; although it does kill spiders rather than just deter. The end result though is that I haven't had a spider in either my cockpit or cabin for over 10 years.

 

[Greenheart]

Mr Septimus lived happily under the overhanging roof above the door for years...

Was he a leg short?

Many thanks for these suggestions and accounts. As I rigged the boat today, my resident arachnid appeared again and boldly didn't scuttle away as I expected him to...

View attachment 33580

...so I caught him in a box. By the way, that plastic box was huge, definitely not a little take-away tub, so you can appreciate how terrifyingly huge the beast was...

Silly of me, I chucked him into the fir trees over the fence. I bet he's back on board already, rinsing the day's brine out of his web-site.

 

[Seajet]

Dan,

if I'd seen a spider like you describe go and hide in any boat of mine I'd make for shore at Warp 9 and bail out, ( me not bilge water ), can't stand them.

I don't like killing them either but if they come on my boats it's going to end in tears for them or me.

" There's only one way to be sure, we take off and nuke the site from orbit ! "

I don't find it a big problem, have heard about chestnuts before so if bothered I'll give it a go.

 

[Greenheart]

" There's only one way to be sure, we take off and nuke the site from orbit ! ".

Actually the pictured spider was quite a bit littler than I described him as...not pretty when zoomed-in on digitally, but no great terror-monger. (The plastic pot in the photo was for a single-serving of egg fried rice. )

 

[Ariadne]

Only gecko at a time as they can be territorial.

Skinks work as well, we had one in Africa for a while, it thrived on the roaches we acquired there, it grew fat and lazy but no roaches after a short time, no mozzies onboard and no biders either.

We have tried Praying Mantis a few times but they don't like boating life and fly off!

 

[Kelpie]

Unwanted stowaways- sound like just the excuse you need to do that capsize drill!

 

[Old Troll]

Spider have rights and I like to see spiders onboard. I take them as a good omen and think that to have them onboard is the sign of a good sound ship. Of course I am a Troll and used to living under bridges with the spiders.

 

[Digger F]

Oh dear, hasn't anybody heard of using Bay Leaves? All you need to do is pin/staple a bay leaf in any corners hidy holes etc and they will not bother to stay around the area. There is an old wives tale of "Bay leaves keep spiders at bay" It does work as I have a leaf stuck in all my hatches and portholes and no spiders to annoy me. Very easily obtained from any supermarket all year round... yes use the dried version.

 

[Daydream believer]

Simple, move to Australia for a few months and after living with spiders that actually kill people you will be happy spending time with completely harmless ones. We only have about 3 of the most deadly in the world

Mind you take care not to play with the snakes though, we have the top 9 deadliest ones here.

Australians can be a bit dodgy as well
One of them drop in on you unannounced & you cannot get rid of them for years, never seem to want to go home