Controlling Pests on your Boat

Spiders, rats, mice, bugs, raccoons, and other such pests can infest your watercraft. At best these animals will merely be an annoyance, but at worst they can cause some serious damage. That’s why the experts at Prestige Water Sport have created this guide to controlling pests on your boat.

A Thorough Clean

The easiest way to keep pests out of your watercraft is simply by keeping things as clean as possible. Many animals like to use trash and leftover leaves as a part of their nests, so removing these materials will help make your vessel less appealing to them. Be especially thorough when it comes to cleaning up food traces such as crumbs and spills. Leftover traces of food are like a magnet for pests, sending the message that your boat is a place where it’s easy to find a meal. Remove any food stored on your boat for more than a week, and do a thorough cleaning after using your boat for fishing or grilling. Remember that many animals have a much keener sense of smell than you or I do.

Use Scented Deterrents

While the scent of food can attract pests to your boat, scent is also a great way to drive these pests away. Mix ammonia and cayenne pepper, and then spray/rub the resulting mixture on your vessel’s edges. This does a good job of keeping insects away from your boat, although it’s important that you keep it away from your eyes. Reapply the solution about once a month.

Mothballs are another good way to deter pests. Stow the mothballs away in your vessel’s compartments, stick them in tubes to hang up, or put them in sheets of fabric around the edges of your boat. Larger animals like racoons and otters can be deterred using heavily scented soaps or dryer sheets.

Ultrasonic Sound Devices

Ultrasonic devices are another good way to keep larger pests away from your vessel. The best part is that since they operate at frequencies beyond human hearing, they won’t bother you. Different animals respond to different frequencies, so do your research before buying one of these devices.

Covers

A boat in storage can be a tempting source of shelter for many animals. Luckily, a good boat cover can keep out most pests. Make sure that your cover completely covers your boat, with no gaps. Pest animals are great at squeezing into narrow spaces, so complete coverage is very important. We recommend visiting your boat while it is in storage just to make sure that the cover hasn’t been breached.

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