Fighting a loosing war.

The Memsahib is busy fighting a war. It's a war targeted against various kinds of spider. Every time we arrive at the boat, quick as a flash out comes the cloth and then several trips are made to the bank to hang them by their thread from the local vegetation. I keep saying that this is a war we cannot win, there are so few of us and so many of them.

My take on all of this is that in general, spiders are a safe and organic insect control for our boat. Well with the exception of the black widow, their cousins the tarantulas or any other such spider that have a stinging or poisonous bite that can have an effect on us.

But I figure - first you must know your enemy -

So what have I found out so far. Boat spiders are generally shy and reclusive and just want to be left alone. Their main enemy are the Memsahib and other bigger spiders including mon and dad. Their main defence against being cuddled by us, is by being really ugly little buggers.

We are not into using a big shoe to clobber them with either. In fact in this war so far there have been no casualties on either side. Now this could be a good role model for various armies including ours who are busy belting several colours of merde out of the local inhabitants in other countries.

Fantastic photo of a common House spider taken by Dave Richards

The other countries as far as I can see, have one thing in common, they are full of sand, rock and dust and all of the local inhabitants seem to sport beards.

Now if this is a war against men and women with beards, could they also do me a favour and add people who play the accordion to the list. Those French cheese eating surrender monkeys have a lot to answer for.

I guess they must come in via the mushroom vents. No! Not the French accordion players, I'm talking about the boarding parties of spiders, do pay attention at the back.

A Google search for any solution for preventing or repelling spiders came up with a possible solution. Chestnuts. Yes, I kid you not, people are using chestnuts as a deterrent against spiders. Maybe they play conkers with the spiders who are hanging by their thread?

However the best solution was this one....

A Good Use for Tobacco

Get a package of pipe or chewing tobacco, soak it in a gallon of boiling water until it cools. Strain the liquid into a clean container. Put a cup of tobacco juice and 1/2 cup lemon dish soap into a hose-end sprayer and spray. I did this at our house two years ago and have been practically spider free since. This works on all kinds of bugs.

I bet after spraying this around the home, they also found out that it works on their friends as well.


Looks like we missed the change to speak with another Canal-World forum member Big John on Nb Epiphany. Epiphany was moored almost next door in Tinsley Marina. We were away from the boat quite a bit and so we missed out on the opportunity. Must leave a note on their blog.

Later.....