If your home has a security camera outside, you might occasionally notice cobwebs blocking the view. You might wonder how to prevent spider webs from appearing on your home's exterior security cameras during the spring and summer when insects are more active.

Spiders are attracted to the bugs that your camera's infrared light attracts, not your cameras. Spider webs obstruct visibility and cause false alarms for motion-activated security cameras, which can be a real problem for homeowners. If you have a security camera outside your home, you may notice cobwebs obstructing the view from time to time. Here are a few tips on how to keep spider webs off security cameras outside your house. 

Why are Insects Attracted to Blink Camera?

Security cameras release a light magnetic field. Wasps are strongly drawn to this signal despite it being too weak for humans to detect. In fact, wasps frequently construct their nests close to surveillance equipment.

While there isn't a foolproof way to stop bugs from being drawn to security cameras, some things can be done to lessen the issue.

How to Keep Bugs Away from Security Cameras

Disable IR/LED Lights

You can turn off the LED and IR lights on security cameras. By doing this, the bug attractant will be eliminated. The absence of lights will prevent nocturnal insects from gathering around your cameras and prevent spiders from following them in search of food. If these lights can be turned off, you might be able to solve the issue altogether.

On the other hand, disabling your IR lights might have the unimportant side effect of obliterating all of your camera's night vision. This may not be a workable solution because the camera was probably designed with that purpose in mind. However, by positioning one or more external IR lights and shining them on the area that the camera is focusing on, you can let your camera view the scene in the frame while also luring the insects to a spot where they won't block your lens.

Use Pesticides

You might not want to expose kids, pets, or loved ones to potentially harmful chemicals by using security cameras at home. While they are active, pesticides will kill any nearby insects but won't stop them from returning after the poisons wear off. To keep the effect from fading, you must keep reapplying. While many items on this list fall under this category, you don't gain much efficiency at the expense of safety.

Use Dryer Sheets or Flea Collar

Bug repellents like dryer sheets, flea collars, and bug sprays are all said to work well. This idea is to acquire something savoury to deter insects from your camera. Rubber bands can be used to fasten a dryer sheet to the camera. The odour will prevent insects from approaching the camera.

Flea collars aren't just for dogs; they don't just work on fleas. One should deter spiders and insects if you loop it around your camera's housing.

These techniques can be very successful, but they must be used repeatedly. As they start to smell and chemicals wear off, most users advise reapplying every two weeks.

Deter With Smell

Spiders are said to be sensitive to certain smells. Some of these are conkers, citrus, peppermint, and other potent scents. These are frequently simple in our homes, but they are more challenging to install outdoors or close to the cameras. Some sources advise wrapping the camera in a dryer sheet, placing conkers or mothballs in a thin fabric pouch like a sock or the foot of a pair of tights, and then hanging it close to the camera. However, those suggestions might seem strange. You can apply a few drops of citrus or peppermint oil to a piece of fabric and fasten it to the camera. Another direction is to mist these scents near the cameras but take care routinely.

Lubricant

To make life difficult for your eight-legged opponents, apply evenly to the camera and any surrounding walls or surfaces. Spiders won't be able to adhere to your camera or spin webs on it if you can make it sufficiently slippery. Teflon or silicon sprays work well, but petroleum jelly, also called Vaseline, is more affordable and durable.

Be mindful of your camera lens, as we've mentioned several times. The importance of this has never been greater than with greasy lubricants. Lubricants may be challenging to remove from the lens and significantly alter the image that your camera captures.

Regular Manual Maintenance

Maintaining Manually This one should go without saying, but I figured I'd mention it anyway. An excellent but temporary fix is regularly sweeping the cobwebs away and using a soft bristle brush to clean the camera.