Apr 28, 2012 – Bugs And Yachts
QUESTION:
What is the best way to treat common pests (mostly roaches) on a boat? The potential client's current pest control company uses the fumigation technique. Is this best?
ANSWER:
Fumigation seems a bit drastic if we are talking about an actual use of a fumigant, which would be Vikane. However, this certainly would ensure the kill of all insects and their eggs on that boat if done properly, and my understanding is that the vessel is tarped with the lower edges of the tarp simply draped onto the water, which serves as an excellent barrier to prevent loss of the fumigant. If there is one major drawback to fumigation it is that there is no future protection to prevent new pests from coming onto the boat immediately, assuming that nothing else is done in an overall IPM effort.
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What is the best way to treat common pests (mostly roaches) on a boat? The potential client's current pest control company uses the fumigation technique. Is this best?
ANSWER:
Fumigation seems a bit drastic if we are talking about an actual use of a fumigant, which would be Vikane. However, this certainly would ensure the kill of all insects and their eggs on that boat if done properly, and my understanding is that the vessel is tarped with the lower edges of the tarp simply draped onto the water, which serves as an excellent barrier to prevent loss of the fumigant. If there is one major drawback to fumigation it is that there is no future protection to prevent new pests from coming onto the boat immediately, assuming that nothing else is done in an overall IPM effort.
Otherwise, there are many products labeled for use on "ships, boats, vessels" that you could legally use on this site, and to see the entire list of products labeled for them look on PestWeb under "Products / Product Documents / Products by Approved Site / Structures / Commercial Structures / Boats, Ships", and you will see that the list is quite extensive.
A boat represents an interesting challenge, as you would think that it is a closed site where roaches and other crawling pests could only access it if they are brought on within infested materials. However, it also is very possible for the bugs to wander on by themselves by crawling up the various ropes that tie the boat to a dock, and this is one aspect that should be addressed. Finding a way to exclude the insects from the boat would be an important step in long-term management. Preventing them from getting onto the boat in the first place is probably a lot simpler than continuously trying to remove them once they are on and in hiding. One possibility would be the use of metal rings around the rope similar to what might be used to prevent rodents. Roaches would not be able to climb over the smooth metal sides, although the fit around the rope would have to be very tight so they could not get under. Possibly a layer of sticky glue on the end of each rope also would be a deterrent.
Within the boat itself the roach control would be as it would in any other home. The focus would be on complete removal of all food resources, and the customer would need to cooperate with you in keeping all foods within sealed containers. You then could treat using a crack and crevice technique with residuals, use cockroach baits as directed, and perhaps dust within wall voids where you can access them.
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