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07-06-2015, 10:04 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
City: St James City Fl
Vessel Name: Paradox
Vessel Model: Mainship
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 165
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Help! Critters in the bilge
Checking the bilge and pumps. I see black wiggly things in the water and wiggling on the damp places in the bilge. They appear to be like little leeches and no longer than 6-7 mm. Very small diameter and pointed on both ends. No mosquitoes or flying insects observed and they appear to be harmless to the touch. We have been down the St John's river in brackish water. What can we kill them off with short of flamethrowers? Any experience with these critters?
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07-06-2015, 10:17 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
City: Freeport Tx
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 135
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Don't know what they are but I would clean the bilge out.
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07-06-2015, 10:43 AM
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#3
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Guru
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,307
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Sound like mosquito larvae. Pump the bilge dry soon. If I'm right, you will have a boat full of mosquitoes if you give them a chance.
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07-06-2015, 10:46 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: South FL
Vessel Name: Oliver
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 47 Hull# 12
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,607
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HopCar
Sound like mosquito larvae. Pump the bilge dry soon. If I'm right, you will have a boat full of mosquitoes if you give them a chance.
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That's the absolute definition of hell. I'd die.
__________________
Thanks, Oliver
M/V Oliver
Nordhavn 47 Hull #12
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07-06-2015, 10:52 AM
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#5
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Guru
City: Melbourne, FL
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,731
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use a bit of clorox in the bilge water and then clean it up.
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07-06-2015, 10:58 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
City: Deltaville, VA
Vessel Name: Cork
Vessel Model: Halvorsen GC32
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 120
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Call Mosquito Control. They will come to your boat and take care of the problem.
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07-06-2015, 11:07 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: AR
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,515
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I've said for years that a wet dirty bilge is a stagnant primordial swamp...this proves it! CLEAN your bilges.If your nose hasn't already begun to let you know they need it, the larvae do. Just pouring in some bilge cleaner and/or bleach and letting the bilge pumps do the rest won't clean anything....would you just pour some dish soap into a sinkful of greasy dirty water, pull the plug and expect to have a clean sink??? Of course not...so why would so many people expect to end up with a clean bilge by doing what amounts to the same thing?? A good strong detergent bilge cleaner, a power washer and plenty of clean water to flush all the dirty water out is what's needed to make sure your boat doesn't turn into a mosquito hatchery that smells like the Okeefenokee.
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07-06-2015, 11:15 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
City: St James City Fl
Vessel Name: Paradox
Vessel Model: Mainship
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 165
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I beg your pardon Peggy! My bilge is clean, does not smell and does not contain more than a gallon of water. The sump in question is a collection point for AC drain and shower. The critters were not there last week and then and now the water is clear enough to see the white painted bilge. I did find this link that was helpful as the picture IDs the critters in my water. Identify mystery small black worm/leech in standing water • HelpfulGardener.com
I need help identifying the bug and how to kill it not cleaning tips, Thank you!
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07-06-2015, 11:18 AM
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#9
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Technical Guru
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
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I got bit by a small stone crab in the bilge of my old wood snapper boat. While cleaning out bilge reaching between frames. I don't freak out easily, but I sure did then.
My present boat has a dry bilge. Not sure why I find it important.
Back to waiting for stupid building permits....
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07-06-2015, 11:19 AM
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#10
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Scraping Paint
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
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I would think the Clorox or bleach idea would work. Or maybe iodine if nobody is allergic to it.
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07-06-2015, 11:28 AM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
City: Cameron, La
Vessel Name: Baobab
Vessel Model: Bayliner 4788
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,660
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I wouldn't worry about what they are, I would bleach the heck out of them and suck everything out with a wet n dry vac. Then you can relax and surf the web to satisfy your curiosity....
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07-06-2015, 12:02 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: AR
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,515
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Autoteacher
I beg your pardon Peggy! My bilge is clean, does not smell and does not contain more than a gallon of water. The sump in question is a collection point for AC drain and shower. The critters were not there last week and then and now the water is clear enough to see the white painted bilge. I did find this link that was helpful as the picture IDs the critters in my water. Identify mystery small black worm/leech in standing water • HelpfulGardener.com
I need help identifying the bug and how to kill it not cleaning tips, Thank you!
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I stand corrected...you're one in a million!
But how clean is the sump? Even if clean, any water left standing in it for days can become stagnant and a breeding ground for critters.
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07-06-2015, 12:10 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: West Coast
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,790
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A friend of mine got infected with hook worms by standing in stagnant bilge water (of an international freighter).
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07-06-2015, 12:18 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
City: St James City Fl
Vessel Name: Paradox
Vessel Model: Mainship
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 165
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I appreciate all the advise. Looks like we all agree on Clorox and a clean bilge.
Roger that!
I got it!!!
Now what are the critters? I posted a link to a picture of them I think.
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07-06-2015, 03:10 PM
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#15
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Guru
City: Satsuma FL
Vessel Name: No Mo Trawla
Vessel Model: Hurricane SS188
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 2,300
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Autoteacher
Now what are the critters? I posted a link to a picture of them I think.
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I don't have a clue but over the years in FL, various bug species seem to show up and then disappear over short periods of time. A couple of years ago, it was white flies. The year before that, crazy ants. Different types of lizards and spiders also come and go. I suspect after you treat for your pest, you will never hear of it again.
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07-06-2015, 06:02 PM
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#16
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Guru
City: Seattle
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,142
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Auto-if the critters you have are really 6-7cm, they are not mosquito larvae. Mosquito larvae are 1cm or less, barely visible. They are hard shelled, have legs, and a head end and a tail end. If yours are soft, they are probably some sort of slug or leech especially given that you are in brackish water. As to killing them, as most here mentioned, bleach to clean out the bilge is a good start. Oddly enough, plain old table salt sprinkled directly on them (other than ones completely immersed) will kill them pretty quickly. Dries them out. Most slug killing stuff is some form of metal salt that does just that. If you want to spend more than just table salt, something like Sluggo or similar should also work. Let us know how it goes, you're the first I have heard of with a potential leech infestation!
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07-06-2015, 06:55 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,329
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Quote:
Originally Posted by THD
Auto-if the critters you have are really 6-7cm, they are not mosquito larvae. Mosquito larvae are 1cm or less, barely visible.
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The dangers of metrication! He said 6-7mm, not 6-7 cm.
I have a sump in the drainage system for my driveway, once found mosquito larvae there, classic fix is tiny amount of kerosene(not sure what the US calls it), which spreads over the surface,the little wretches can`t breathe, and die.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
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07-06-2015, 08:47 PM
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#18
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Guru
City: Miami Florida
Vessel Name: Possum
Vessel Model: Ellis 28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,307
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The link you posted to the leeches fits your description of the critters better than my guess of mosquito larvae. Mosquito larvae have a head at one end and you mentioned tapered ends.
I noticed today that I've got a good crop of mosquitoes growing in my outboard test tank. Back in the days of 2 cycle outboards, that could never happen. There was always a slick of oil on top of the water. Four cycle outboards are increasing the mosquito population!
__________________
Parks Masterson
Retired from Hopkins-Carter Marine Supply
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07-07-2015, 04:59 AM
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#19
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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07-07-2015, 05:34 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
City: Lottsburg, Va
Vessel Name: Amazing Grace
Vessel Model: Ocean Alexander 52 Sedan
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 318
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This wasn't in the bilge, which is clean and dry. We docked in Deltaville Friday afternoon and I opened one of the Laz hatches to retrieve the hose, then opened the starboard hatch to get the shore power cord. As the starboard hatch was lifted about a foot out of the corner of my eye I saw a tail hanging over the lip that catches rain water. As the hatch was continued up, lifting with left hand, my eyes still focused on the cord, the tail darted for the scupper and my brain registered what I'd seen; SNAKE. Now I'm hoping I saw it disappear back down the scupper, I did not hear it slap onto the teak grate in the bottom of the laz. My wife saw me clear the hatch (who says old white men can't jump) and inquired as to my sudden evacuation of the Laz. Now her concern was, can that thing get into the cabin?
We keep the boat on a creek of the Potomac and have seen a few water snakes swimming around, usually avoiding people. I'm guessing one made his (her?) way up thru a stern scupper drain, it does have a flapper but may not stay closed (need to check that, maybe I can talk my wife into doing it). The design of the lazy hatch with the drain lip probably would keep the snake in that channel.
One of you guys want to help inventory the spares kept in the laz?
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