How to kill wood worms??????

[Bobby Jenkins]

A friend of mine took a slip where he sit on the bottom much of the time during low water. He picked up wood worms which have eaten about 8 inches into his keel. I heard the way to kill worm was to keep the boat in fresh water a couple of days. Have also heard you can heat them out. Any one have any experiece in getting rid of them???? He plans to pull the boat in Decemeber and put a new keel in her but need to know how to make sure he has killed all the worms.

[paladin]

Heat will definitely kill them. Set the boat upright on a concrete surface, use 20 gallons of #2 diesel, sprinkle liberally inside and out and drop a match into it. Should get rid of all the worms.

[imported_Conrad]

Paladinsfo- .......Come on now.....

[Ed Harrow]

Well there's an opposite approach that very likely would work - liquid nitrogen ('course there'd be no cookout)

[thechemist]

Sand off any antifouling and other paints, down to bare wood. Rig a plastic sheet [double layer 6-mil polyethylene] underneath as a diaper, and fill full of [denatured for stoves] alcohol, or methanol. Hold the sheet next to the boat with sandbags, so the liquid level rises as high as the area to be treated. Let it soak for a few days, preferably a week, and then drain and allow a week for the solvents to escape the wood.

Save the alcohol. You may need it for paladinsfo's solution, just in case. If you go through the whole process and after airing out for two days a worm sticks his head out and hollers, "Hey, Bartender! Can I have some service in here?", you know they are gonna be serious trouble.

[Dale Harvey]

A couple of days might slow them some, but a couple of weeks or even months in freshwater would be safer. Minor infestation I squirt with strait industrial strength Clorox in a garden sprayer. I like Chemist's idea, but being cheap, I'd give 'em freshwater laced with lots of pool chlorine instead of alcohol. I suppose you could "cook" the wood if you got carried away with this, but if well rinsed and air dried, it will soak up that much more epoxy and/or red lead and bottom paint.

[John R Smith]

Bobby

try the psychological approach.

Haul the boat and set up on the slip. Get very powerful CD-player, amps and speakers. Hook up and aim the speakers at the infested area. Obtain and play the "Sound of Music" album (you know, the one with Julie Andrews) at max volume for as long as it takes.

You'll see those little worms trooping out of their holes dragging their suitcases in no time flat.

John

[Iceboy]

I like the psych approach. The only problem is they will never let you back into that marina. JimmyM

[dasboat]

I like the psych.approach also...waddaya expect from me anyhow?
If julie doesn't cut it,try Lawrence Welk as a sure fire (there's that word again)solution.
Fresh water is your best bet, or if he is going to haul, on the hard for winter ought to do it.
Darryl

[Tom Dugan]

I just assumed that, being marine beasties, hauling the boat for more than a week or so would kill 'em off. They're gilled, ain't they?

Wrong assumption?

-T

[Dale Harvey]

They plug up the hole behind them and can go dormant for a surprizing length of time. One of the best ways to get fleshy remains all the way out, is to let the fire ants have at 'em. If you don't have fire ants yet, cheer up you soon will! Something else to look forward to on this ever evolving planet.

[Jerry Sousa]

Your friend thinks he has problems? I got worms in my frames and deck beams!

[dasboat]

Jerry,how does that happen,do you own a submarine http://media5.hypernet.com/~dick/ubb/biggrin.gif?

[Bobby Jenkins]

Thanks for the input guys I was going to take a copy of this to him this weekend but he might not find some of the entries as funny as I did. Ive never dealt with worms and hope I never have to. Think I'll skip passing on the barbeque style of burnem out. I too wondered how you would know how much heat was enough. Any more ideas would greatly be aprciated.

[Boyd]

You can get rid of them the same way my Dr. in college suggested that I get rid of the crabs. You shave off half of your pubic hair (cut the boat in half) light the other half on fire and bash the little buggers with a hammer when they come running out!