Ants and Moisture Spypoint

[rosewood]

Well, the Spypoint I had replaced under warranty got water in it and ants this time. Found some burned marks on the circuit board. Pretty sure it is shot and not sure I want to fight with them again about the warranty. I already swore off paying beyond the 100 free pics a month. So guess I will go ahead and by a 2nd Tactacam. By the way, my tactacam neither had water or ants in it. Guess they seal theirs up better.

That being said. I considered putting a pack of desiccant inside the cams to cut down on moisture and also considered some type of ant repellent. Are there any small packs of poison or repellent you can buy to stick in the cams? Since I am using an external battery supply/solar setup, my battery compartment is empty so I can stick stuff in there. I also found ants inside my battery box, but I just sprayed Off in there, figured it wouldn't hurt anything in there.

Thoughts?

Any one else have issues with water and or ants?

Rosewood

 

[bfriendly]

If the off had deet in it, it may cause damage.I’d spray it with permethrin and give that a shot. You’d think it would be waterproof, good grief!

 

[LETMGRO]

Water is preventable but not ants. There are no ant proof cameras. Ants cause more damage on a circuit board than battery acid. Cameras with stuff plugged into it, like external power, can be even more attractive to ants than one with regular AAs inside the unit. If the power plugs are sealed, so that the wires are permanent, you may prevent access through the plugs but that doesn’t prevent access through the camera hinge points, etc…
The wetter the summer….the worse the ant problem in cameras. Ants leave wet ground and come up the tree. If anything, with an electric current, is on the tree, it’s like the ants have hit the lottery. Don’t spray insect repellent in, or on, a good camera. The solvent in most of the sprays will also damage the camera. If ants aren’t already trailing up the tree, that the camera is on, you can put some ant poison on the ground around the tree. That may help some but the deer might not like the scent. If you see a big trail of fire ants on a tree with your camera, move the camera before it becomes the next victim. They will find a way in and tear it up too. I can’t tell you how many camera failures are caused by ants.

 

[1eyefishing]

I use liquid Terro X ant bait on the outside of the Box where it goes up against the tree. It's a borax poison that the ants take back to the nest and die out. They definitely won't build a nest right by it.
It's not real toxic or hazardous to humans and it's easy to clean up with a wet paper towel when you re done with it.
I also use it on ladder stands and other things that are left to get antnests in them.
Home depot, Walmart, etc usually has it...

 

[XIronheadX]

OFF will melt into plastic.

 

[LTFDretired]

I lost a few to ants. What a pain

 

[Jeetdawg]

After I attach my camera to a tree or feeder post, I spray around my cameras and soak tree bases/bottoms with Bifen IT. That has worked on trees with visible ant activity with no other option available. Never lost a camera

 

[Son]

I've only had spider problems so far.

 

[rosewood]

OFF will melt into plastic.

It also will clean your plastic head light lens. Give it a try.

 

[rosewood]

I've only had spider problems so far.

I had a spider once knock out my home AC. He crawled between the contacts on the circuit board and prevented it from making contact. After I cleaned the carcass out, it was back to working.

Rosewood

 

[Son]

Varmits will get in your wells pressure switch too. Ants, roaches, spiders and even a snake or two. The snakes really make a mess.
Forgot, green frogs. My years as a telephone repairman, the phone business had the same problem.

 

[rosewood]

Varmits will get in your wells pressure switch too. Ants, roaches, spiders and even a snake or two. The snakes really make a mess.
Forgot, green frogs. My years as a telephone repairman, the phone business had the same problem.

Not to mention when wasp build a nest in a pedestal or worse an aerial splice case when you are up a pole and open it up...

 

[Anthony61]

I have sprayed the inside and outside with Ortho home defense and allowed it to try with good results against ants.

All my tests also revealed that deer were not repulsed by the smell in the past.

To be scientific...

This morning I sprayed a lot of ortho home defense in front and below an existing camera.

Several Deer passing by stopped and smelled for several minutes before going on. so, I would actually call it an "attractant"

 

[LTFDretired]

I wonder if this will work. Big bottle, small powder, stinks like ****. Not sure if deer would notice. Bottle a few inches high but powder in bottle maybe an inch? Supposed to kill em right away, no delay. Ortho Orthene Fire Ant Killer

 

[antharper]

I keep 6-8 of the cheap WGI cameras in the woods nearly all year and have never had a ant or water issue . I do try to put them in the shade

 

[whitter]

Comcast had an issue with ants in my cable box in front of my house and they also used Ortho Home Defense spray. It seems that if those critters are getting into the electronics of a camera that the weather gasket is missing somewhere. I examined three of my cameras and once closed up they were sealed. Pls examine those Spypoint cams and let us know where the entry or-face is.

 

[GeorgiaGlockMan]

The raid ant and roach killer in spray can works good and lasts a long time on fire ants. Except those new black whispy Columbian ants. It hardly phases them and they'll come back the next minute/day.

Spray the tree around the camera good. Most ants will die from just walking by it. I don't think it bothers the deer at all. It will also keep most spiders at bay. Reapply every month or 2.

I staryed keeping a half can of that raid in my truck box after my truck was invaded by fire ants at airport park&ride. Those ants love hot Pepsi. I had to stop, buy Raid and fumigate my truck before I got halfway home. 5 minutes later and ant apocalypse was done.

 

[rosewood]

Comcast had an issue with ants in my cable box in front of my house and they also used Ortho Home Defense spray. It seems that if those critters are getting into the electronics of a camera that the weather gasket is missing somewhere. I examined three of my cameras and once closed up they were sealed. Pls examine those Spypoint cams and let us know where the entry or-face is.

I think the ants got in through the power port on the back. Water must be seeping around the seal since water doesn't go up hill. 2nd one I have had water get in on the same tree.

Rosewood

 

[rosewood]

I have sprayed the inside and outside with Ortho home defense and allowed it to try with good results against ants.

All my tests also revealed that deer were not repulsed by the smell in the past.

To be scientific...

This morning I sprayed a lot of ortho home defense in front and below an existing camera.

Several Deer passing by stopped and smelled for several minutes before going on. so, I would actually call it an "attractant"

I have a jug of that. Actually since the ants keep coming out from under the circuit board, I didn't want to spray directly on it, so made a ring of Ortho on the garage floor and sit the camera in the middle, figured they have to come out sooner or later.

I would prefer a baggy or something that would carry poison or repellent that I could leave in camera though, something that wouldn't have a risk of damaging electronics or plastic. Maybe I can saturate a cotton ball and put in a small cloth bag..

Rosewood

 

[GeorgiaGlockMan]

I have a jug of that. Actually since the ants keep coming out from under the circuit board, I didn't want to spray directly on it, so made a ring of Ortho on the garage floor and sit the camera in the middle, figured they have to come out sooner or later.

I would prefer a baggy or something that would carry poison or repellent that I could leave in camera though, something that wouldn't have a risk of damaging electronics or plastic. Maybe I can saturate a cotton ball and put in a small cloth bag..

Rosewood

Spray the inside of a trash bag and put camera in it sealed.