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Wild Critters on Boat

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Randolph G. Wilson
1st Mate

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USA
64 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/09/2004 : 12:02:12

I've been reading these comments about snakes and birds making their home on the boat. Down here in Georgia I've never had a problem with snakes or birds (other than goose deposits), but we do have a problem with wasps and what down here we call dirt daubers.
The dirt daubers make their nests of clay in the mainsail and inside the boat. The wasps build their paper nests in the furled sail, and they ae practically impossible to clean off.
This fall I put screen over the louvered openings in the companion way hatch boards. Not sure how much good that will do. I am more concerned about them building their nests in my brand new North Sails main. Has anyone come up with a solution to this problem? Soemone locally said that he had heard Bounce (the dryer product)would keep them out. Anyone have any ideas?

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jlouder
1st Mate

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27 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2004 : 12:58:08

We have the same problem in Fort Worth. I have tried using the old "no pest" strips, both in the cabin and in the sail cover. So far so good, I had one nest in the cabin but none on the sail.

Jim
"Amazing Grace"

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Todd Frye
Navigator

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USA
222 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2004 : 17:04:10

If you think the Admiral gets squeamish about snakes on board (not sure I'm crazy about snakes either), the Great Salt Lake produces Brine Shrimp flies en masse. This last season was bad and helped to support a genuine plague of mean looking spiders. Although the State had a fairly aggressive spraying program at the marina, I remember counting at least 50 quarter sized spiders on the topsides of each boat in the marina. How many were below decks is left to the imagination. As the lake is on a migratory bird path, hungry birds stop to feed on the numerous spiders and return to the spreaders to do their jobs on the decks below. When sailing on summer nights, we would run into floating masses of these flies that would swarm the boat, making breathing impossible without inhaling some. Hopefully, this colder winter will help the pest problems. Todd Frye

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Captain B
1st Mate

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USA
88 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2004 : 17:17:00

You need to sail more and not give those dobbers time to set up house.

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pwhallon
Admiral

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USA
694 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2004 : 18:48:47

Hi Randolph,

I'm in GA too.

Where do you sail?

PW

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/09/2004 : 22:22:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Captain B
 You need to sail more and not give those dobbers time to set up house.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's right... If the boat moves even 50', they can't find their nests, and will give up and go build somewhere else.

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Doug G.
1st Mate

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USA
49 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2004 : 11:49:02

The headlines read: Pandora's Box of Mud Daubers Discovered In Oklahoma!
I want everyone with mud daubers to accept an apology from me and especially my previous owners. I am sure that all of the mud daubers in the world were born in my boat. It saw very little use for many years, stored both on the water and on a boat lift on the dock. I bought the boat in Aug. 03. When cleaning it up, I felt like the Leakey's discovering prehuman remains. I found ancient layers of Precambian mud nests under Revolutionary period nests followed by current breeding hordes of wasps. There were nests inside drawers, under all areas of the hull liner, all corners of the lazzerette,in the mast, and the most impressive find was under the wood cover for the Swing keel space. It was chocked full enough to provide adhesive stabilization to the veneer cover.
After the big clean out, I have noticed very few on my boat, but many more on the neglected boats nearby. I agree that increased sailing time, motion, and general activity encourages them to seek an easier life elsewhere. I think that the old yellow 'Shell No-Pest strips' work in the cabin and in my dock locker.
I hope this Spring to manage wasp reproduction better than my PO's. Please notify me if my wasps come your way.

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Raskal
Navigator

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USA
162 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2004 : 18:50:04

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I remember counting at least 50 quarter sized spiders on the topsides of each boat in the marina. How many were below decks is left to the imagination. As the lake is on a migratory bird path, hungry birds stop to feed on the numerous spiders and return to the spreaders to do their jobs on the decks below. When sailing on summer nights, we would run into floating masses of these flies that would swarm the boat, making breathing impossible without inhaling some<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You guys are starting to make me feel much better about having just sharks to worry about...They stay on their side of the hull and I stay on mine...

Rich K.

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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.