Removing Spider Droppings?

[ramble on]

My marina is infested with spiders that live in the rigging, rails, mast-crannies and anywhere there is shelter. These guys do their business on the deck and it penetrates the gelcoat.

And it DOES NOT WASH OFF!

Short of 600 grit sandpaper, does anyone have a solution (ha) for getting the excrement off?

And has anyone had success in getting rid of the spiders?

Thanks,

Ramble On

[tsaiapex]

Feel your pain, I too have similar problem.  Water/bleach mix and a brush usually take care of the stain.

I do find the number of spiders reduced after each trip to the coast.  I wonder if salt water kill them?

[spaul]

Spider droppings are a challenge for sure. As the other post said bleach is king here. I like Softscrub and a scratchy sponge. Works very well. I also like to keep a good coat of wax on the gel coat to improve resistance to stains. Sofscrub is easy to store and watch out for bleaching things you don't want to have white spots all over.

Steve Paul

[ramble on]

thanks for the tips. i hate spiders so much i would use a mooring to get away from them (though i bet some would still find the boat. i have ordered a top climber so i can do mast work and spray the heck out of their little hideouts.

Ramble On

[dusty]

here's an idea from joshua slocum,

put something onboard that hurts the feet of the invader.

that oxalic acid, it's temperent within our oceanic environment, health wise.

sprinkle it around, for lack of a better reccomendation, anyway

[ramble on]

That`s a great application of a solid principle! Of course the main place to do this is way up in the rigging. If I can make my new top climber work, I will sprinkle everything I can find on anyplace aloft where it will stick.

thanks,

Ramble On

[Paul]

According to the guys on the public radio show called "Got Bugs?!"  (South Carolina Educational Radio, Your Day, Tuesdays at lunchtime) sprinkles and sprays do not adversely affect spiders.  According to them, spiders don't clean themselves. So, when the poison gets on them (exoskeleton) it doesn't do much.  Unlike insects which do clean themselves.  When they lick their feet/hands or other appendages, they injest the poison which then kills them.  Their best remedy for spiders is to harrass them.  For instance, tear down their webs and make life difficult in general.  Best method is to vacuum them up.  Of course, video of a sailor in the rigging with a shop vac could win prizes.

Just thought I'd relay this before folks start poisoning their boat's rigging with little effect.  Seriously, I'd consider using a hose to spray them down on a regular basis.

Hope this helps.

[ramble on]

the only success i have had was after my son climbed to the masthead and sprayed away with a can of something from a pest control company. this took care of it for about 2 weeks.

i will try this weekly for a while weekly to see what happens. i will also try the water blalsting method.

thanks,

Ramble On

[dusty]

tina says, "I learned this from the man who trained the spiders for the movie "Arachnophobia". Spiders have their taste buds on the tips of their legs. They also hate the taste of Lemon Pledge. Dust your window sills and doorframes with the Pledge, both inside and out, and any areas where they accumulate. The spiders will find that they don't want to live with you."

if you have a fused electrical outlet at your dock, mae suggests, "There are plug-in devices that create a "barrier" in your walls and emit a high-pitched tone that bugs run from. They sell at Sam's Club for $20 for a package of 3; I've also seen them at Wal-Mart. They work! I hate spiders and our new house was loaded with them until I got these. It took about a month to get rid of them all, but I saw an improvement almost immediately. Or, you could buy a few frogs."

to add some color to the experience, pick up a box of ladybugs at the garden center, according to manik. "The best way to get rid of spiders if you have many is to get the voracious bug and insect eater - the ladybug beetle. These small creatures eat close to 50 bugs a day. I have several of these small beetles in my house. I used to get rid of them, but then I discovered that I did not have any other insects or bugs. The beetles got rid of them. I also use them in my garden. They make short work of garden pests. Also remember that once you introduce ladybug beetles in your house, they will keep on coming every year. This has been my personal experience."

suggestions from 'No More Spiders'

[NormD]

Does anyone know how to get rid of the pesky ladybug droppings all over my deck?

[ramble on]

That is funny!

[dusty]

also funny would be spraying lemon pledge all over the place and slipping off the boat.

[Craig Weis]

At our local Dollar Store outlet I find that a spray product called Awesome.
It cost $1 per bottle and it works.

I clean the whole boat with it. And the sails when I take them off boat and lay 'em out in the yard for cleaning and inspection. I had my UV strip on the head sail start to unravel so off to DoorSal sail loft [Charley Klien] for a 1/2 hour, $25 repair here in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He also makes great Storm Sails....

I spray it on and let it sit a bit and rub off the spider dropping with my finger or tearycloth towel.
The stuff looks and tastes like white wall tire cleaner. It is acidic. No harsh SoftScrub. Skip

[ramble on]

I will get some of that and give it a try. Thanks! Jeff/Ramble On

[jimdoesmo]

I use Irish Spring soap in a open container see if that helps