How to Stop Spiders on CCTV? (4 Best Options)

When setting up your CCTV system you may not be thinking of what insects or arachnids are going to be attracted to your cameras.

After all, you’re setting up your cameras to deter criminals, not to capture footage for David Attenbourough.

Despite this, you should still be aware of spiders on CCTV and how you can limit or eliminate their presence on your cameras and footage.

There is no doubt that spiders are an important part of the food chain, but they have no place in the security industry, so let’s look at how to reduce their screen time.

How to Stop Spiders on CCTV

In this simple guide we will be looking at how spiders affect your footage, how to stop them climbing over your cameras, and some methods to keep them at bay.

  • Spiders and CCTV Basics 
  • Why You Need to Stop Spiders on CCTV
  • Things You Will Need to Stop Spiders
  • Methods for Stopping Spiders on CCTV
  • Summary

What You Need to Know About Spiders and CCTV 

So why are spiders attracted to CCTV cameras?

Well the answer is they actually are not attracted to the cameras, but more their placement or what is on them, typically this is their food.

Like other predators, spiders are known to go where their food is. So, if there are bugs and insects attracted to your camera, due to it being sheltered from the environment, or attracted to the light, spiders will be drawn to it too.

Often portrayed as the bad guys, spiders are the root of a lot of people’s fears but they are an important part of the ecosystem, albeit a pesky invader on our camera footage.

The good news is they are not specifically interested in the cameras, and there are some simple solutions to get rid of them on your CCTV footage and cameras.

Spiders on CCTV Fact

Why It’s Important to Stop Spiders on CCTV

If you are not familiar with CCTV you may not be aware of the potential issues spiders can cause to your cameras and recordings.

It seems pointless to go through the process of investing in home security CCTV to then fall victim to spiders blocking the footage or creating false alarms.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons it is important to stop spiders on CCTV.

Reduce Your False Alarms 

Different cameras have varying levels of sensitivity, but it is often the case that something will trigger a false alarm. Everything from a wandering cat, to a bird flying by to a spider’s web has the potential to set off your camera.

Regardless of what they are, these will waste your time, effort, and resources, to limit these fake alerts you need to reduce the number of perpetrators. Some of these factors are outside your control, but one thing you can affect is spiders and their webs. 

Keep Your Footage Clear 

Footage can often be warped, distorted or blurred for a number of reasons from environmental factors to wear and tear, to a spider building a web on your camera.

Ensuring you keep your footage clear is instrumental to recording CCTV video, there is no use having a camera and not being able to use it for its primary purpose.

Stopping spiders on your CCTV will keep the video files easy to view and criminals easier to spot and identify.

Save Time 

Keeping your cameras clean and spider free will save you time in the long run. Some of the solutions we are going to look at are very low maintenance, so will not take up much time but will save you a lot in the future. 

Having to deal with spiders as and when they pop up is a waste of time, so prevention is much more important than reaction. 

Maximise Your CCTV Cameras 

One of the important factors in having a security system is ensuring it protects your premises around the clock when you can not be there to oversee things. 

It gives you the comfort of 24/7 surveillance, so you do not want there to be any disruptions small or large. Removing the threat of spiders creating webs over your camera or lens will maximise your cameras and the overall quality of the footage.

Another reason why it’s important to reduce the impact if spiders with CCTV is the emergence of solar security cameras.

Not only do spiders have an impact on the footage of these, but also may have a negative effect on the cameras ability to generate power for itself if the web is allowed to continue growing.

4 Ways to Stop Spiders on CCTV

Spiders can be an unnecessary obstacle, especially if it’s your first time setting up your security systems and you are looking for how to install CCTV

In this section, we are going to look at four methods to stop spiders on CCTV and make your life a lot easier, so you can focus your energy on other tasks and not on if an 8 legged crawler is the star of your new reality TV show.

Method One – Use Aromatherapy 

We do not mean go get a diffuser and place it next to your cameras. We mean using scents to deter spiders, this may sound ridiculous, but if it works, then it can’t be that crazy! 

Spiders are renowned for having a distaste towards certain smells such as Peppermint and Citrus. Utilising drops of these smells near or around your cameras will make them a spider-free zone.

Spiders actually smell with their legs, so they will be reluctant to approach ANY strong smells, but the aforementioned scents have been proven to work well. So grab yourself some peppermint or citrus oil and put a few drops around your cameras, or on some material near your CCTV. 

Needless to say, avoid the cables and the lens when applying the oils, some CCTV housing may be fine to apply it to, but as a rule of thumb do not put it on your cameras.

Method Two – Use Bug Repellent

Spiders are known for going where their food is in abundance. Eliminating the opportunity for bugs and insects to get near your camera will provide a simple solution to limiting a spider’s presence.

The repellent will likely keep spiders away too, but removing their food source will certainly help reduce the likelihood of spiders on your CCTV cameras.

Disrupting their feeding chain will mean that the spiders will go to other places where the bugs and their food are and avoid your cameras. 

Method Three – Make it Harder to Grip

Another method that seems fairly rudimentary, but creating a surface that is more difficult to climb up or attach a web to will keep your CCTV cameras clear. 

This can be done in a few ways, but using something as simple as Vaseline or silicone spray, you will make your cameras a lot harder to crawl over and thus eliminate the opportunity to spin a web.

Make sure you warn anyone who looks after the cameras so they do not smear or remove the lubricant or get it on the camera’s lens. 

Method Four – Turn off the LEDs

This will vary from camera to camera, but having a LED light can actually be detrimental to your CCTV camera. Although a red LED flashing light is synonymous with a camera recording, the light can also attract bugs and insects.

As we have looked at in the above methods, removing the opportunity for spiders to be attracted to your camera or able to climb on it, is a good way to get rid of them. 

So turning off the LEDs that attract their prey is another simple but effective method, be aware that not all cameras either have a light or have the ability to turn it off.

Bonus Method – Find Some Conkers 

Again, a slightly odd suggestion, but there is a good amount of evidence to corroborate this theory, conkers are known to emit Saponins, a naturally occurring substance that has been linked to repelling arachnids, insects, and bugs.

This has never been ‘scientifically’ proven, as there have been fairly limited studies on it. Despite this, you will be able to source some conkers for free, so go find a horse chestnut tree and see if there is any truth to this old wives’ tale for yourself.

Stopping Spiders on CCTV Summary 

So, there you have it, a quick guide to stopping spiders on CCTV cameras and how to improve your security systems. 

To summarise, make sure you create an environment that not only spiders but also their prey does not want to go near, this will kill two birds with one stone.

Are there any other ways that we missed? Feel free to send us a message or leave a comment below! Regardless of how you get rid of spiders, as long as they are not on your cameras, you have found the right solution! 

Removing spiders is just one way that you can increase the reliability of your CCTV systems, if you are interested in the best CCTV for your home check out this blog. 

Best of luck keeping your cameras clear of these pesky security invaders!

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Steve White

Steve White

Steve is an experienced security professional with over 20 years in security installation and consulting. He's here to help you answer your security questions.