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Spiders - Getting rid ...


Chris J W

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I spent all last summer batting them out of the bow when I used to sit out in the evenings as they came down SAS style on their little web ropes annoying me. Plenty got a swim then!

 

There were a few inside, but they mainly stuck outside, especailly round the bow front cratch and the navigation light, and along the ropes where it's tied up, so I don't mind them as those annoying little flies that start attacking you around 9pm just before the sun goes down really deserve nothing less than being caught.

 

We haven't had that many this year inside. One of two tiny ones if that (or they are very well hidden !). The outside is covered in them, but I don't actually mind those as long as they don't want to join me in the bow for drinks.

 

 

I don't mind them normally, but they will insist on crapping on the curtains.

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Anyone got any good ideas about how I can get spiders from inside the boat? Don't mind them outside, but would much rather they stay there and not spin webs inside!

Tell em to come aboard my boat - I like 'em, they keep the flying insects down and they keep me company ;-) Some of them are particularly good listeners, willing to sit and listen to me ramble for hours....

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It's quite interesting actually because I bought a new sailaway 2 years ago with no spiders onboard and after a few months came to a brand new pontoon mooring where I was the second boat to moor. There's only one bridge over which any land animal can cross to the pontoons and that's about 150 yards away. Now the pontoons are full of spiders - mainly outdoor garden spiders - but the way they have colonised new territory is fascinating. I guess some came over the bridge and others came in by boat.

 

Simple answer . . . Spiders are so light that they 'fly' by spinning a long, fine, non sticky thread and they get carried along in air currents. Seen many do that and it sure seems efficient.

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We use our spiders for entertainment. Better than TV, need no licence, make no noise and actually do something useful.

 

Seriously though, when there are flying, biting nasties about watching the cobweb in the corner of the ceiling waiting for their sticky demise can be strangely appealing and completely environmentaly friendly.

 

We encourage ours to make new, sticky webs every week or so by dusting the old ones away (being careful not to destroy the spider).

 

None of them have names yet but I feel sure it is only a matter of time

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foam. low density pourous stuff, like air filters, put it in your vents as spidy barriers, spiders build webs in a relatively limited number of spaces, if the air flow is too high or low then they won't build webs, so limit air flow when left for a while, sheets on windows/doors taped over etc, you can't really stop them living aboard. having said that i've heard good reports of an ultrasonic bug deterant but only on houses. or you could run your exhaust through the boat, that works. I'll not bother with my other suggestions as they get progressively more effective, and less rational, acetalyne, microwaves, RKD, etc

 

I also had a spider phobia, 'til i saw a spider carry off a kitten, then i suddenly realised, there isn't a single spider in the uk to worry about. we have 1 poisonous snake. thats it. (whether there's one type of snake thats poisonous or there's one snake that the government ferries about a lot i don't know and wouldn't be prepared to guess)

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Spider bite symptoms

 

There are 640 species of spider in the UK. Only 12 of these have been known to bite humans in the UK and this includes two Steatoda species, S. grossa and S. nobilis .

 

The severity of symptoms from any spider bite depends on the amount of venom that is injected. False widow spider bite reports include symptoms such as chest pains, swelling and tingling of fingers. Last year a man went to hospital for treatment after being bitten by what may have been a false widow spider - the spider was never caught so it wasn't identified.

 

Natural History Museum

 

Don't want to scaremonger or anything...

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foam. low density pourous stuff, like air filters, put it in your vents as spidy barriers, spiders build webs in a relatively limited number of spaces, if the air flow is too high or low then they won't build webs, so limit air flow when left for a while, sheets on windows/doors taped over etc, you can't really stop them living aboard. having said that i've heard good reports of an ultrasonic bug deterant but only on houses. or you could run your exhaust through the boat, that works. I'll not bother with my other suggestions as they get progressively more effective, and less rational, acetalyne, microwaves, RKD, etc

 

I also had a spider phobia, 'til i saw a spider carry off a kitten, then i suddenly realised, there isn't a single spider in the uk to worry about. we have 1 poisonous snake. thats it. (whether there's one type of snake thats poisonous or there's one snake that the government ferries about a lot i don't know and wouldn't be prepared to guess)

CO death by spider?

 

I had one of those u/s bug deterrent thingies (allergic to mozzers). It was totally u/s until a spider used it as a web anchor and caught all the mosquitoes who came over to see what all the noise was about.

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Simple answer . . . Spiders are so light that they 'fly' by spinning a long, fine, non sticky thread and they get carried along in air currents. Seen many do that and it sure seems efficient.

Of course there's always the apocryphal tale of the newly launched nb, tied up for the first time, and within seconds a spider crawled down the mooring line and took up residence...

 

Our arachnid pals are always going to be there, hiding in dark corners. Live and let live, I say: I'll happily destroy anything with 6 legs (eg three Welsh rugby fans) but never a spider.

 

Ian

 

PS 04.08.07 62-5

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I also had a spider phobia, 'til i saw a spider carry off a kitten,

 

Arg, you have just made me cry.*

 

And if anyone is going to start quoting more stuff about biting spiders I will just have to stop reading the thread!

:rolleyes:

 

Meg

 

*hyperbole, natch.

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  • 2 weeks later...
:P Best way to keep spiders outside is either to train your cat to catch them - it keeps the cat fit and will give you hours of fun. Or the very obvious.....Spiders absolutely hate bees so polish the inside of your boat with beeswax polish - only the best mind you...I do my window frames and ceiling about twice a year - say spring and autumn....I must say I have been lazy and didnt do it this year and have had spiders everywhere so it does work...painting it on with an old dry paintbrush is the best and the inside of your boat will look and smell lovely.
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After discovering just how many small flying insects that invade the boat, I've given the spiders an amnesty so they can do their job and catch as many of the little buggers that they can.

 

However - I've found an excellent way to discourage the spiders from spinning bit too close to me. I see one dangling from the ceiling close to me and I aim my gas-lighter at it! Not lighting it, you understand (that would just be silly!) but the quick gassy breeze is sufficient to get them bugger off back to the ceiling and windows where they belong!

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However - I've found an excellent way to discourage the spiders from spinning bit too close to me. I see one dangling from the ceiling close to me and I aim my gas-lighter at it! Not lighting it, you understand (that would just be silly!) but the quick gassy breeze is sufficient to get them bugger off back to the ceiling and windows where they belong!

 

I wonder if they don't like the sound, the smell of the gas or maybe the sudden cold that just venting some gas would create ? Bit academic really as I don't smoke so haven't got a lighter but I bet someone out there knows <_<

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I wonder if they don't like the sound, the smell of the gas or maybe the sudden cold that just venting some gas would create ? Bit academic really as I don't smoke so haven't got a lighter but I bet someone out there knows <_<

 

Ah-ha! The great thing is that you can still get lighters if you DON'T smoke!

 

(But I have noticed the spiders taking far too much attention too my baccy tin ... what have I started ...?)

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Ah-ha! The great thing is that you can still get lighters if you DON'T smoke!

 

(But I have noticed the spiders taking far too much attention too my baccy tin ... what have I started ...?)

 

The cheeky buggers, dont they realise an ounce of a mans extra particular is sacred?

 

Ill have to check the padlock on me stock of Old Holborn for spiderlike scratch marks

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The cheeky buggers, dont they realise an ounce of a mans extra particular is sacred?

 

Ill have to check the padlock on me stock of Old Holborn for spiderlike scratch marks

No point. The larger ones send in the tiny ones to work from the inside. They're very well organised, you know.

 

BTW: What's the ship in your avatar?

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The spider is a delightful creature and should be regarded wtih great adoration. When farmed correctly (see Alistairs post) they are superb catchers of flies, mosquetos etc etc and they also tend to stay in the same place. I have three spiders in my bedroom, one of which is above my head. Periodically he will drop down, but he rarely comes close enough for me to eat him.

 

 

They are also very cute - they waggle their legs as if menacing, but really they are just being tickled by an invisible force. <_<

 

I think I shall go and get my coat.....

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No point. The larger ones send in the tiny ones to work from the inside. They're very well organised, you know.

 

BTW: What's the ship in your avatar?

 

 

Curses!

 

The ship is the Grand Turk. A replica 19c frigate. built primarily for the hornblower series and film work but now up for sale due to the film industy using CGI instead of the real thing.

 

Took that pic as She was passing by me old tub on the medway earlier this year doing trips for the day. £100 i think it was to help sail her for the day or just relax in a tall ship.

 

This was about 9am in the morning and she fired a gun at us which is her usual hello as i upset the skipper Ian, one night in flannagans in Ostend. nearly blew me out of me bunk...musta been double charged

Edited by saltysplash
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Curses!

 

The ship is the Grand Turk. A replica 19c frigate. built primarily for the hornblower series and film work but now up for sale due to the film industy using CGI instead of the real thing.

 

She was passing by me old tub on the medway earlier this year doing trips for the day. £100 i think it was to help sail her for the day or just relax in a tall ship.

 

This was about 9am in the morning and she fired a gun at us which is her usual hello as i upset the skipper Ian, one night in flannagans in Ostend. nearly blew me out of me bunk...musta been double charged

 

I thought it was The Grand Turk! I'm from Whitby, where her now home mooring is, and it's always great to see her when going down to the harbour. (Not as great as seeing HM Bark Endeavour when she was there, but bloody close!)

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I thought it was The Grand Turk! I'm from Whitby, where her now home mooring is, and it's always great to see her when going down to the harbour. (Not as great as seeing HM Bark Endeavour when she was there, but bloody close!)

 

They have a good set of officers as well, very freindly and enjoy their ale. learnt most of me sea songs in flannagans ostend over the past 9 years <_<

 

will be sadly missed if Mr Turk does sell her off. Understand they did have an enquiry by an american until it was pointed out to him that she is wood and he would have to consider having her copper sheathed if taken over to the states to fight off the worm.

 

In 2001 i had a crew of 10 on board for our ostend trip. by the forth day we were down to 4. 3 deciding to go back on the ferry as they didnt enjoy the lively crossing lol and the other 3 being press ganged into the turk for the journey back to blighty..

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I used to have a real problem with spiders but my daughter cured me by presenting me with a moral dilemma

 

When she was old enough to learn from other people she started with the "oooh spider kill it kill it kill iiiiit"

 

learnt it off her Mother I think (twasn't me honest)

 

So I had to persuade her that spiders are God's creatures too and they catch horrible flies and things so they have just as much right to live as we do

 

Which meant, of course, that I had to get used to them

 

I don't mind them now - except the buggers that creep out of the plughole - they get me every time - I don't kill 'em though - just put them outside

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  • 2 months later...

somebody somewhere has said that if your have chestnut floors or even leave chestnuts on the inside of your window seals it can kkep spiders out any way i think that they are notorious bad sailors so i shouldnt think they would stay onboard for long. plus if they do you can throw the dried up chestnut at em

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hi i can tell you there is a chap comes in to my shop . hes a gardener he had a smallish spider on his arm, he swiped it off with his hand thought nothing of it . later that day up the a and e his arm is now swelling up four weeks later he came in and showed us his hand / arm . i can honestly say ive never seen anything like it in me life . while it was swollen he said when he knocked his arm with his other hand he said it sounded like knocking on wood . it took about 10 weeks to be looking something like it it was absolutely horrifying not good he actually came close to dying . no not tounge in cheek this time it really happened . dont get bit

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