How to keep pests at bay

Infestations of insects and other unwanted visitors is an ever present risk, especially in warmer climates, says Rupert Holmes

- Rupert Holmes

When faced with an insect infestation on board your yacht, it's usually best to address the problem as soon as possible to avoid a large-scale infestation.

As always, the imperative is to make sure everyone on board remains safe, so extreme caution is required if an infestation involves stinging insects such as wasps, bees and hornets that may swarm and collectively deliver a potentially lethal dose of venom if the group feels threatened or is defending a nest.

My first encounter, however, was more prosaic. It followed a big provisioning trip ashore that included a lot of fresh fruit. It was October in Greece and not particularly warm, so we figured there was a lower risk of an insect infestation at that time of year than in high summer. I was therefore complacent about washing the fruit in a vinegar solution to remove any bugs or their eggs, and was more keen to get sailing instead.

Everything seemed fine until I got up to make a coffee early the following morning and saw half a dozen fruit flies hovering above the fruit bowl. Complacency still ruled, and I went back to bed to read for a couple of hours.

But when I returned to the saloon the air was thick with dozens, if not hundreds, of fruit flies. Clearly, rapid action was needed. We were now in a remote anchorage, but fortunately had a couple of cans of fly spray on board.

The first line of attack was to remove the pineapple that was the likely source of infestation. Insects often lay eggs in the crevices within the crown, so that was duly bagged up so no more newly hatched flies could escape. Next, the rest of the fruit was washed in a bucket of sea water and kept outside in the cockpit.