Spiders – Creepy, Crawly and Lake Friendly

By Tim Langer – Lake Management Committee

Summer is upon us and those eight-legged creatures quickly found your house, dock and boat. Now what? Well the answer isn’t always easy. Spiders are very beneficial as they consume many other insects and an important component of the ecosystem. But having cobwebs and spider droppings all over your house, dock and boat can be unsightly. Brushing the cobwebs off and washing your boat and dock frequently with fresh water (yep water alone) is one of the easiest and most lake friendly ways of control.
Pest control products for around your home typically use one of the following active ingredients, Bifenthrin – Ortho home Defense MAX, Gamma-Cyhalothrin – Spectracide Bug Stop, Cyfluthrin – Bayer Home Pest and there are many others. They work well around your home but are extremely toxic to fish and aquatic organisms and should never be used on your dock or boat near the water. Remember to always read the product label for application guidelines and precautions.

So what are we to do? Here are a few tips and tricks… Did you know, spiders smell and taste with their feet? So a home mixture of some essential oils sprayed on a surface will kill or deter spiders. Some of the essential oils to use are lavender, citronella, peppermint, tea tree oil, thyme and rosemary. You’ll be controlling spiders and adding fragrance to your home all at the same time. Be aware, you may have to apply this type of all natural control method more often to remain effective.

If you’ve tried the at home methods and a commercial product is what you are looking for then here a few alternatives. As times have changed so has the products available to consumers. Here are a few commercial products made with essential oils, making them completely eco-friendly, safe for your guests, your pets, children, and our environment. They are Essentria® IC3, EcoVia™ EC, Nature’s Element® Web Out® and Star brite® Spider Away. As with the home mixtures, you may need to apply more often since these are natural based products as compared to synthetic pesticides, but they are a much safer alternative for people, pets and the lake.

Remember to always spot test to ensure nothing happens to the surface you want to apply a product to and as always, remember to follow the product’s label.

We hope this article provides valuable insight into existing products and alternatives, which can help you, make informed choices for your own use and that of hired contractors.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE