little critters

evecircleM · #1 (**permalink**) 10-14-2001

The other day I was cleaning my galley and
discovered these tiny little insects. They were barely visible to the naked eye. It seems that they were near dampness. They were white in color and some were red like the color of teak. I have no clue as to what to do about them. All I know is that I want them gone immediately. Anyone have a clue and maybe a way I can eliminate them?

nauticalrich · #2 (**permalink**) 10-16-2001

rdt123 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2001

diatomaceous earth should do it. using a vacum cleaner blower to blow the stuff where you want it to go should put enough static charge on the stuff to adhere it to the walls. please use a mask. this stuff is tiny limestone shells of minute pre historic plankton and work by blocking the respiratory spiruls of the insects. works on any insect so far. the stuff can be bought at home depot, lowes, swimming pool supply, and some grocery stores in the swiming pool supplies area. I like it because is much more friendly than pesticides just be sure to not breath it. Theory would suggest that the body would easily deal with the limestone but hey!
let me know how it goes.

dimwit · #4 (**permalink**) 10-28-2001

Yes, and we want to be friendly when killing pests, not don''t we? lol

sailnaway · #5 (**permalink**) 11-13-2003

open every locker and drawer bug bomb three cans will do the trick if your boat is 40''or under. Now wash all your clothes sheets everything dishes to get the poison off. The bugs have no name then but dead bugs.close up the boat and get off for a day.Do not breath the stuff get out as soon as you set the bombs off.

sadie14 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-14-2003

If you bomb, be sure to leave the hatches so that you can open them from the outside! Don''t go in, just open what you can from outside and let it air awhile.

Don''t know what your bugs are, but boric acid works well for roaches. Do not buy the medicinal kind, get the stuff sold near the other bug sprays. We got rid of all our roaches this way, but it takes a bit of time.

pirateofcapeann · #7 (**permalink**) 11-14-2003

I got ''em too. Seen ''em on just about every wooden boat I''ve been on. They don''t seem to be botherin'' me and they don''t eat much so I just leave ''em alone.

c172guy · #8 (**permalink**) 11-15-2003

I think that diatomaceous earth is actually silica!!! The stuff that asbestos is made of in a different form. I suspect that it would be bad to breath the stuff. They use it to enhance filtration. We have a jar in my laboratory and it has a MSDS warning to use a respirator!!!! Cool stuff under a microscope!!!!

JohnYates · #9 (**permalink**) 03-01-2004

My old Tartan had those bugs and it drove my wife to madness. We finally bugbombed the boat and got rid of them. Now it''s a spring rutual. Follow precautions per previous post and take precaution against combustion via sparks, etc. You don''t want to get rid of the little critters by burning down the boat.

sailnaway · #10 (**permalink**) 03-27-2004

Silica can cause a condition of the lungs called fibrosis. You can also get it from fiberglass dust and many other glass like materials. I would use extream caution with this material.I am not a doctor but I had a friend who did get this from silica and almost died.