Whether you’re a personal user trying to protect your home, or a business looking to deter thieves, you will likely have put a lot of thought into your security system and cameras. Where to position them, what type to buy, how to power them and what the best monitoring software would be. You probably won’t have thought about all of the spiders and other creepy crawlies that might decide your CCTV cameras are a lovely place to call home. Especially now the weather is getting warmer and they are venturing outside again! It might seem small, but spiders and other insects crawling around your CCTV cameras can actually cause you a lot of problems, so today we’re going to look at the what, why, and how to get rid of spiders.
The Problem With Spiders And CCTV Cameras
CCTV cameras make a very attractive den for spiders and other predatory insects, mainly because this is where they can find a lot of their food. Security cameras are often placed in sheltered areas (to stop them from being visible), or emit light, both of which attract insects. Spiders are predators, and once they work out that their food will come to them, setting up shop in or around the camera is an obvious move. But this can cause you a lot of problems, including:
Increased False Alarms: No matter how carefully you set things us, false alarms can and do happen. Different cameras have different sensitivities, and many are sensitive enough that a spider crawling across the sensor, or even a spider’s web, has the potential to set it off. This will waste your time, effort and resources to investigate, so it’s best to keep spiders off your cameras in the first place to reduce the rate of false alarms.
Obscured Footage: You need your CCTV footage to be clear in case it’s needed to identify faces, vehicles or any number of other things. Spiders cause obstructions on your lens, either by crawling across it and blocking the view or by weaving webs that blur the footage it does capture. This is the number one reason to ensure your cameras are kept clear of any pests or debris, as it allows them to serve their primary function.
Wasted Time: You could opt to just deal with spiders as and when they come up as an issue. During some times of year that won’t be very often, but other times you could be having to shoo away spiders every other day, which is a huge waste of your time. Instead, there are simple solutions that don’t take long to put in place and mean you won’t have to think about spiders ever again.
Limited Vision: Spiders are well known for one thing, and that’s their sticky webs. If you have spiders living around your security cameras they are likely to spin webs everywhere, including on the camera itself. A single strand might not make too much of a difference, but over time those webs can build up and completely obscure the vision for part or all of the camera. If you’re trying to use your cameras as a way of gathering evidence, this will compromise it and leave you with useless footage.
Keeping Spiders Away From Your Security Cameras
So the big question is, how do you deter spiders from setting up camp in your cameras? There are a number of different options you can try, some of which will be better for home CCTV systems, and some which work better for business solutions. We’re going to share our favourites with you today, so that you can try them out for yourself.
Aromatherapy: No, we don’t mean get out your diffusers and mount them next to the camera! This is a different kind of scent. You see, spiders actually smell with their legs, which means they will be pretty reluctant to approach anything with a strong smell. But they’re well known to dislike certain specific smells, including peppermint and citrus. So a simple, easy way to deter spiders is to put a few drops of peppermint or citrus oil on the area around your cameras. Be careful not to put them directly onto the camera, cables or camera housing itself, as this can cause damage to the equipment.
Bug Repellent: If spiders are coming to your CCTV cameras because it’s where their food is, the simple answer is to take away their food source. Step up, bug repellent! There are many different kinds of bug repellent products, from sprays to pods and even sticky sheets, so you can choose a method that works for you. By disrupting their food chain, you may be able to send the spiders elsewhere to find their next meal.
Opt For Smooth Surfaces: Another simple solution is to ensure the areas you put your cameras are mounted on smooth surfaces. Just like in your bath tub, spiders will struggle to climb a smooth surface and will look for easier pickings. So the more difficult the surface around your camera is to climb, the less likely they are to try. If you have metal sheeting on your building this is a great start, but you can also achieve it at home by using Vaseline or a silicone coating spray to keep the area slippery. Just make sure you let any engineers know that’s what you’ve done so they don’t smear it or get it on the camera lens!
Turn Off The Lights: Depending on the type of camera you have, it could come with a flashing LED, either to signify that it’s recording, or when it enters infra-red mode to film at night. This can be useful, but it can also be a beacon for insects of all shapes and sizes. Removing the opportunity for bugs to flock to your cameras also means you’re reducing the risk of spiders, so if you can, turn the lights off on your camera.
At Securifix we want to make sure your home and your business are kept secure, from getting the right systems in place right down to ensuring you know the little things that can make a big difference to your cameras. If you would like to know more or book your own free security audit, just get in touch with the team today.
