February 16, 2002
Boat Bugs

Approaching Australia and thumbing through guidebooks, the specter of killer spiders, the world's most venomous snakes, poisonous jellyfish, and Jaws-style sharks, loomed large. Cruising the Pacific seemed safe by comparison with what the land held in store for us.

Other than a few friendly sea snakes, we've seen nothing in the Pacific that could do us much harm over the last six months. All we've had to contend with is the occasional boat bug.

We found a cockroach on board a couple of weeks ago. It may not seem a big deal with everything that is going on in the world at the moment, but it's a big deal to us. We run a bug-free boat.

Our strategy for each follows below, and the only thing that stops us from saying they are largely successful strategies is the risk of tempting fate.

Mammalian Incursions
One or two larger creatures occasionally find their way on to boats, though so far not on ours. We do know boats that have had a rat creep on board, especially when moored to the shore. Rats have been known to walk along 100-foot lines when moored stern to the beach in Tahiti, so anti-rat disks slipped over the lines are a good idea.

One boat arrived in the San Blas after a trip from Cartegana only to discover a very bedraggled bat hanging from the rigging. A fear of bats is not uncommon, but this thing did nothing to endear itself to anyone. Every time we approached it to help it on its way it opened its mouth and snarled at us, exposing a set of teeth Dracula would be proud of.

Another bat experience was more messy than scary. Some friends anchored off an island that had a population of fruit bats. They went to bed having left a bowl of bananas on the table and awoke in the night to discover a feeding frenzy in the saloon--and, on switching on the lights, discovered bat droppings everywhere. As they were on charter at the time, it meant a night of frenzied cleaning before the guests awoke.

While in New Caledonia we heard of one skipper watching in amazement as a sea snake slithered out of a cupboard and into a drawer. These sea snakes are amphibious and we had seen them on coral atolls as well as when diving. The skipper concluded that the snake must have crawled in through his water inlet, but it may have climbed the anchor chain. Another crew found one in their dinghy--it had climbed up the motor leg.

As for our cockroach, it seemed pretty dopey; we hope it was already half dead from having dined on one of our cockroach traps. And to date we haven't seen any others, so we are hoping it was a one off. But we remain ever vigilant.

BUG STRATEGIES

COCKROACHES
Prevention
We think the main way they get on board is in shopping bags/backpacks, cardboard boxes, and boarding planks/warps.

We never take cardboard below. Boxes are emptied on the dock or in the dinghy and only the contents get taken below. You could still get eggs in labels on tins but that is a lesser risk and why we also set traps.

Shake out shopping bags, especially if you have been to the market or if the bags have been on the floor anywhere. Don't assume that the nice clean supermarket is cockroach free. A lovely fresh clean air-conditioned supermarket in Port Villa was crawling with the nasty beasties. I found one in a lettuce that I had taken from the chilled vegetable display.

Hang backpacks on the back of your chair, not on the floor. Twice we have found a cockroach in a backpack.

Beware books in book swaps or any other paper items from another boat that might have a cockroach problem.

Cure
We have traps down all the time. That way if we get a cockroach on board, the traps are in place, ready to stop them breeding.

If you see a roach, catch it and get rid of it but don't squash it. With a pregnant female you may end up spraying the eggs around. We spray them with insecticide, as they are quick buggers, and grabbing usually ends up squashing them.

If you get a serious infestation, getting the boat fumigated is the only option. Traps will never eradicate them once there is a sizable population.

MOSQUITOES
Prevention
Some anchorages are just more mosquito infected than others. Mangrove swamp lagoons are usually the worst. Anchoring a little further offshore will sometimes give you more protection--at least the mosquitoes will have a shorter fly to the boats nearer in than you.

We are fortunate in having screens on all our hatches (thank you, Steve), and a screen alternative to the companionway door. Burning citronella candles seems to help too, and we also have small battery-operated fans that contain a replaceable impregnated pad.

Or find yourself a gecko.

Cure
Not a lot you can do really except spray the whole boat and go ashore for a beer so you don't poison yourself inhaling the fumes--but don't forget to take the insect repellent.

WEEVILS
Until we started cruising we had never seen a weevil. But then we had never had to buy flour in South America or rice in Trinidad. Pasta, flour, rice, biscuits and cereals are the most likely carriers.

Prevention
Try to buy flour/rice etc. in plastic bags rather than paper--at least that way you can see if they are already infected. Before storing either, freeze for several hours or microwave if you can. If neither of these is an option try putting a piece of kitchen towel or tissue soaked in vinegar in with the flour/rice. Some people say a bay leaf works too. Then place individual bags in ziplocks (this may seem expensive, but so is throwing everything away when you have more weevils than flour).

Cure
None.
Throw infected food away, scrub everything with disinfectant and start again. Or accept the protein value.

BSTs (Big Stingy Things)
Prevention
None, although mosquito screens should help unless it is huge and can burst through it.

Cure
Run around and squeal a lot. Flapping your arms about helps too. Or just sit in the cockpit and read a book until it decides to fly away again.

GENERAL: Ants/Beetles and Other Unclassifiables
Prevention
Be careful what you bring ashore and also what comes from other boats. Small beetles and ants often infect books and magazines.

Cure
Spraying books with insect spray seems to help, and having cockroach traps around the boat will also help deal with the problem.

NOTES
On arrival in Australia quarantine officers will check the boat for insect infestations and, in extreme cases, can quarantine the yacht until they have fumigated it, at the owner's expense.