Wanna Keep Critters out of Your Boat When It's Stored?

Here's what you need: peppermint spray, Irish Spring soap, and dryer sheets. At least, that's what Wired2Fish angler and writer Walker Smith uses.

Too many times, boats that just sit for a spell become a breeding ground for the likes of spiders, roaches, mice, or even chipmunks, to name only a few. Follow the tips that follow, though, and Smith "guarantees they will work, and they're also pretty affordable."

Peppermint Spray. It wasn't until Smith got on Amazon and started researching "spider repellent" that he discovered a number of products with a billion 5-star reviews for the same thing: peppermint oil spray. The only problem was that the retailers all wanted upwards of $20 for a 20-ounce bottle.

"I didn't just fall off a turnip truck," said Smith. "I'm not paying that kind of money for a bottle of peppermint spray."

Instead, he asked his wife where they had put a package of essential oils they had received for a wedding gift. She told him, and he grabbed it, put about 25 ounces of water into a clean spray bottle, and then dropped about 75 drops of peppermint essential oil into it.

"I closed the bottle and shook the heck out of it," explained Smith. "Took me about three minutes and cost me almost zero dollars. I then went out to my shop and started spraying it on my carpet, underneath my console, in my compartments, and between my seats. It was insane to see how many tiny spiders started jumping ship and getting out of my boat. I was immediately sold.

"From what I've read, the strong scent of peppermint screws up their ability to smell and hunt, which makes them immediately vacate the area where this scent has been sprayed.

"In addition to repelling spiders, peppermint spray also does a good job repelling chipmunks, which can absolutely wreak havoc on boat tow vehicles and boats. They'll chew the heck out of wires if you let 'em. We have a pile of chipmunks and squirrels on our property, so I use this spray inside the fender wells of my truck. I used to see chipmunks hop on top of my tires and into my engine well, but since I've used this spray, I haven't seen a single critter within 15 feet of my truck."

Irish Spring Soap. Smith went on to explain that when growing up, his buddy's dad swore by bathing with Irish Spring soap before every deer hunt.

"I always thought that was weird, because you're supposed to be scentless whenever you're in the woods," noted Smith. "But that joker killed more deer than all the rest of us combined. He didn't use it for the scent, however. He used that Irish Spring because he said a bug wouldn't come within 10 feet of him in the deer stand. This was long before Thermacells and what not. We had to use whatever we could think of to keep those mosquitoes from carrying us off."

As Smith would come to learn, too, from a conversation with a buddy and colleague, a bar of Irish Spring soap in the sump compartment of your boat (where the batteries and stuff are) will almost certainly ensure that mice, rats and other nasty furry things won't get in there. In addition, the soap reduces the amount of fuel smell coming from the back compartment.

Dryer Sheets. After a full night of research regarding spider tendencies, Smith further came to discover that dryer sheets work well against them, as well as bugs. Accordingly, he uses the dryer sheets in those areas where he keeps thousands of dollars' worth of custom-made crankbaits. He also puts them between his seats and underneath the console.

"If you're planning on taking a break from fishing this fall and winter to get out in the deer stand or duck blind," offered Smith, "I strongly urge you to try these little tricks to keep all the nasty bugs and rodents out of your boat, especially if you keep your boat outside. You'll notice an immediate improvement, and you won't have to buy a bunch of expensive and potentially harmful chemicals to keep your boat clean."