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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Mud Daubers

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/13/2009 : 10:30:56

If they paid rent, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, but I can't tell you how many mud dauber nests my GF and I (okay, mostly my GF) pulled out of the boat on Saturday as we were cleaning the boat for a Sunday Splash. If I were to quantify it by weight, 100 pounds of mud might be an exaggeration, but maybe only a little bit.

Anyway, I know the best way of mitigating the effect of mud daubers is to use the boat regularly, and the GF and I plan on doing that this year. Last year, however, was a different story because of a special circumstance we were dealing with.

In any case, are there any tried and true methods we can use to supplement our efforts to make our boat inhospitable to mud daubers? I had read on this forum a handful of years ago that dryer sheets work, but I was laughed at by the mud daubers as they literally built a nest around a dryer sheet I had the week previous stuffed in the curtain. Maybe I used the wrong brand.

Anyway, I am committed to keeping the boat clean of mud daubers since if I am successful the GF will be more likely to spend the night out there with me.

If anyone has any insights to share, they would, as always, be tremendously appreciated.

Ben
Beneteau 361
Viking Kitty
Columbus, Ohio

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2009 : 11:14:15

I Googled this and found this page: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/muddauber.html

I have no idea how effective this stuff is, but it sounds like a decent start. I also don't know how poisonous to humans it is so be careful about using it inside your boat.

The article states that they feed on spiders, do you have lots of those on the boat as well? Maybe removing their food source will help. My understanding is the Chlorox sprayed on webs makes their bonds break down & the webs fall apart. Maybe a two pronged attack on both the spider (if you have them), and the mud daubers?

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2009 : 11:26:02

Barn grade anti pest strips found at your local farm supply.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2009 : 12:22:11

The best way I have found to deal with mud daubers is to not let them get inside the boat. Generally, the boat is sealed up fairly well. The way they can usually get in is through spaces around the sliding hatch and hatch boards. I made a sunbrella cover that goes over the hatch boards. It snaps onto the snaps that are mounted on either side of the hatch. Those snaps are normally used for the pop-top cover. There's a few extra inches of fabric at the top of the cover. I flipped that fabric over the top of the top hatch board, and closed the hatch on it. The cover kept mud daubers from getting inside through the louvers in the hatch boards. The extra fabric on top filled the spaces between the sliding hatch and the hatch boards, and kept them from getting in that way.

If they're clever enough, they can also get in via the pop-top, which isn't always well-sealed. Putting a small tarp over the pop-top helps to discourage them from entering there.

Every once-in-a-while a mud dauber would find a crack to get through, but very seldom. The cover also protects your hatchboards from the weather, so they don't need to be refinished so often.

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2009 : 06:37:55

Thanks folks! I'll try Deliotts recommendation first, then the pest strips. Hopefully the strips come in a form where it is something other than the long strips I used to see people use a lot to catch flies. that's the first thing that came to mind when I read Frank Hopper's recommendation.

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2009 : 09:19:26

They are about 3" x 7" and are a yellow plastic envelope with slit openings in the sides. Smaller weaker ones are in regular stores. These are use a lot at my club where we have a very bad dauber problem. However, I always used a tarp and never had a but of any kind in my boats.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3312 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2009 : 10:48:33

I blocked access through the companionway louvers with a piece of insect screen cut to size and secured with brass screws though brass strips (about 1/4" wide by 1/8" thick.
The spaces on either side of the top hatch I "secured" with pieces of pet flea collar fixed there with folded over scotch tape - all the bugs seem to hate this stuff. Works great at keeping them off the boat!

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glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2009 : 11:56:49

Can’t speak for mud daubers but we place a Pest Strip below by the mast post, and it takes care of our spider problem. We have been doing this for years with success. If David is correct and you remove there food source, maybe they will also go away.
I also have a can of wasp killer handy. One time while at the helm, in the middle of the lake a wasp came at me. He was determined that one of us was going to have to disembark. He felt it should be me. For my defense all I had was a can of house hold bug spray. Captain Becky (as I call her) was nice enough to get it for me (after which she disappeared below). You do what you have to do. He Wasp wasn’t very happy when I sprayed him with the Raid. He did a quick 90 degree and he took off. I thought the war was over. Little did I know it was just the first battle. He came back, three times in all, and each time he changed his tactics a little. He started to aim towards my hand which was holding the can. Every time he got close I would spray him and he would go away. But he kept coming back for more. By his 3rd or 4th try I finally figure out how to use the bug spray. We were sailing in light air, but the wind was still strong enough to slow his attack efforts. So during his final approach I took the can and hit him with it. He fell to the cockpit floor, and I stepped on him.
Like I said I now carry a can of Wasp killer on board.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.