By: Ashley Lizzi on October 14th, 2022

Keep Critters Out of Your Boat (Winter Storage Tips)

If you live in a part of the country that gets cold (freezing cold) in the winter, you most likely plan to winterize your boat. Doing so starts before the boat is pulled out of the water and can take a decent amount of time depending on the process that’s best for your boat.

As a boater, when I winterize our pontoon boat, I first make sure we’ve got storage lined up and that the spot is open so that we can drop the boat off as soon as it’s prepped for winter. Once that’s in order, we start the process by pulling the boat, cleaning the interior and exterior, and then trailering it to my local dealer so that they can winterize the outboard engine.

After all of that preparation, we put the cover on and store it in an enclosed storage facility. Now the question is, how to keep the boat from becoming home to a family of raccoons while it sits over the course of six to seven months?

No matter where you store your boat, inside or out, your boat is susceptible to all types of critters making themselves cozy in your furniture. I’m going to go over some of the tips from experienced boaters that have worked for them in keeping these pests out of the boat.

First and Foremost

The number one most important step to take in making sure your boat isn’t appealing to critters is cleaning the interior really well. Go through all compartments, remove any leftover trash or food items that may have been left behind.

Whether it’s a beer cap or a cheese wrapper, get it off of the boat. Next, I make sure the carpet and furniture are free from crumbs or stuck on sticky food-related messes. Vacuum, power wash, clean the furniture down and you should be in good shape here.

Once the interior is clear of any food and drink debris, I like to keep any items that hold water such as life jackets, out of the boat. I also keep the seats open for a day or so and let all the leftover moisture completely dry out.

Now you’re ready to arm the boat to keep critters out. Here is a list of items that will aid in pest control while your boat sits over the winter months.

Mothballs

Mothballs have been around forever and have one main use, which is to keep insects such as cloth moths away from garments or fabric. If you’re concerned about the fabric on your boat’s furniture, this may not be a bad item to include throughout the boat.

You can put mothballs in small containers such as a bowl or disposable tin pan and set those throughout the boat. This will help keep fabric-eating insects away but don’t expect it to repel all pets.

Dryer Sheets

It is said that Bounce dryer sheets help in repelling mice and small rodents. Apparently, they hate the smell so the more potent, the better. You can easily scatter these throughout the boat and in between furniture.

They’re also effective under the seats in the storage compartments. The downfall you may run into is that they don’t repel all types of rodents and they do lose scent pretty quickly. If you go this route, I recommend replacing the sheets with fresh ones mid-way through the winter.

Irish Spring Soap

If you’re looking for a mouse repellent that’s a little safer than straight-up poison, turn to Irish Spring soap. Something about this particular brand helps keep small rodents at bay between the scent and the ingredients of the soap.

You can put entire bars of this soap throughout the boat, just make sure to remove them from their packaging. You can also grate the bars of soap with a cheese grater and leave the shavings throughout the boat.

Essential Oils

Much like the couple of recommendations above, scent can be a big deterrent for critters of all types including rodents, insects, and animals. Essential oils are one of the most natural products you can use in this way.

Most critters don’t like spicy scents such as peppermint, cayenne, black pepper, and cloves. Using these scents by way of essential oils is a low-tox way of keeping pests out. You can soak cotton balls in these scents and place them throughout the boat.

Just as with the dryer sheets, however, you are at risk of losing sent mid-winter. If you go this route, I recommend replacing the cotton balls at least once while the boat is in storage.

Ultrasonic Devices

There are devices on the market that use ultrasonic noise to repel rodents. These devices are mostly used for gardens and around homes to ward off pesky critters that can ruin flower beds and such

Some people use these devices in their boats while in storage as they can ward off mice and larger animals such as squirrels, raccoons, and rats. If your boat is stored in an area where bigger pests could be an issue, this may not be a bad tactic to use.

Rodent Killers

There are plenty of items on the market that will repel and kill rodents that come in contact with them. From poison pellets to traps, all of these items can be used in a stored boat. As a boater myself, I'm all for anything that will keep pests out so that come springtime, I don’t find any unwanted surprises such as destroyed seats or excrement.

That said, you must make sure to remove every bit of these items out of the boat before you launch it the following spring. The last thing you want is for your child or boat dog to find leftover mouse poison or trigger a trap on their first boat ride of the season.

I’d much rather have them find a dryer sheet or essential oil-filled cotton ball that may have been forgotten during the spring prep. If you go this route, be on high alert when you take the boat back out of storage and clear it of any rodent killer you have used.

A Long Winter’s Nap

These are some of the tips that many of the experienced boaters I know have used in the past. None of them are foolproof because let’s face it, they’re called pests for a reason. But it doesn’t hurt to do everything in your power to protect your beloved vessel while it sits in storage.

I’ve stored my boat indoors my entire life and I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t matter when it comes to rodents and insects. I’ve used storage facilities, wood-sided barns, pole barns, you name it, critters can get in.

For those who store their boat outdoors and use shrinkwrap to protect it, you actually have a leg up here. The way shrinkwrap adheres to the boat is a great critter deterrent. The wrap makes it difficult for anything to enter the boat thus being a natural repellent.

Either way, I recommend taking a few of these extra steps in keeping unwanted pests away from your interior. The last thing you want to find is a new furry friend that isn’t happy to see you or the carnage they left behind over the winter.