Dock Spiders

[Fish-On]

I am located in Duluth, Minnesota on Lake Superior. Every year for the last four or five years, our docks have been over run with spiders. If you clean and wash them away one day they are right back the next. The discharge from these foul littel creatures leaves a stain in gel cost as well as any vinyl it happens to drop on. They hide by day and party by night.
The docks are publicly owned and privitly managed. They claim thay can't get involved with any spraying or pesticide control. Any ideas other than the famous Hedge Hog ball because they do not work, at least not in this situation. Thanks - Torv the happy fisherman!

 

[gwwannabe]

I haven't encountered your problem but the place I have on a river off the Chesapeake Bay gets overrun with daddy long legs spiders. There are 2 storage areas accessable from outdoors that support an unbelievable population. I've found if I spray this spider killing stuff I got from Lowes or Home Depot at least once a month, I have none. Let me forget and a short while later, they're back in droves.

I think you're in a more difficult position, with all the pollution regulations. Anything you use to treat the spiders on the dock is going to wash into the water. You might talk with a pest control company to see if there's an environmentally approved way to control them. I'd be very careful about trying to spray something like what I use on the dock. It could get you a stiff fine for polluting the water, etc.

Gary 89 Overnighter

 

[JeffN]

This is a little out there but I have sprinkled diatomatious (sp?) earth around my house and it did away with spiders, waterbugs, etc in my basement. The stuff is what you use in swimming pool filters cheap and I would guess enviromentally friendly, the stuff is just the skeletons on one celled critters - think Borax. The stuff is very sharp and cuts up the bugs when they cross the diatomatious earth. Now where would you put it on a dock? Could it go on cross members under the decking? I would not think the spiders would live on top but underneath somewhere. Could you put it on any flat surface under the decking, is there a spot? Maybe go down before the season starts and just sprinkle it on the dock, you will have to reapply as it will wash away but maybe that would work. Put the stuff down for a few days and see what happens. Probably pick it up at Wally World for cheap. Anyway I said it was a little out there but it does work around the house. Whats a hedge hog ball?

 

[gradytom]

Try "RealKilz" from HD or Lowes.
Spray the dock down, underside for sure, hit your docklines
keep it off metal fittings
reapply every few weeks to once a month
about $8 gallon I think

 

[Fish-On]

The docks are large aluminum frames sitting on foam blocks. It would be difficult to sprinkle anything underneith but maybe the suggested spray will help. It's sure worth a try.

Thanks for the follow up, I will let you know how things come out.