Warning on camera selection

[TimboUK]

Hi all, still getting to grips with setting up my zoneminder (but thats another story!)

When choosing external cameras be very carefull with the ones with built in IR Leds. They are great initially and easy to install. BUT after a few days spiders love them. Ok during the day, but then at night they comeout and spin webs over the front, the bright IR then just reflects off the spider/web and the electronic iris closes up to compensate. You then cannot see the area you are monitoring. You then end up with loads of alarms full of out of focus spider videos!
Personally I would recommend good quality low light camera sensitivity, and a seperately positioned IR illuminator if you need it.
Hope this saves somebody an expensive mistake!

[SlovakJoe]

Wouldn't that have more to do with the physical structure of the camera's front than with whether it's IR or not? If the camera has a hood on the front then a spider would be likely to go build a web in there regardless.

Then again, I haven't had this problem so what do I know.

[Lee Sharp]

I have 50 or so IR cameras outside and have never seen a spider. It may be location related.

[rockandroller]

I've mounted a dome camera right onto a light fixture above the door of our building, and unfortunately the light fixture does attract moths, and that always attracts spiders ( they have colonized the general vicinity of all of our external building lamp fixtures). In the early summer we also get quite a collection of large Mantis.

Anyway, it's an ideal location for the camera, so the spiders MUST GO. I don't like to kill them though - just want to move them along. So now I'm in search of some sort of Spider Repellent... will post back here if I can find something that works!

[benf]

I have had the same issue with spiders and cameras with in built IR and tried many things from pesticides to vasoline on the cameras.

Solution : turn off the cameras IR and instead install a separate IR source, mounted (eg) nearby / above - many available on eBay.

This doesn't stop the spiders, but stops them and their webs being illuminated by IR.

[KeviNH]

I've got several outdoor cameras, some with built-in IR, and none accumulate spiderwebs.

I wonder if attraction to IR varies by species, region? Maybe New England spiders aren't as interested in IR?

[CountyLine]

It's not just spiders. In fact, all manner of flying bugs are attracted to them here in the US South. Benf has the right idea, but beware: not all cameras allow you to turn off the built in IR illuminator without also disabling the IR cut filter. If the IR cut filter is disabled it will render the camera useless at night.

If the built in IR illuminator can't be disabled without killing the IR cut filter, you have to open up the camera and cut the power to the IR LEDs.

And of course this all costs more since you have to buy and power a separate IR illuminator mounted some distance away from the camera.

I wish some manufacturers would offer their mid grade cameras with the IR illuminator in a separate housing in order to address this problem.

[alabamatoy]

It's not just spiders. In fact, all manner of flying bugs are attracted to them here in the US South.

Interesting, but not universal. I have several IR cams on one zoneminder setup in North Alabama, multiple on one in SE Tn, and multiple on one in N Fl, and none have had issues with spiders.

You need some mud dawbers. They eat spiders.

[CountyLine]

They don't eat enough of them. If you are short on mud daubers I can send you a case or two.

By any chance are your installations in built up areas? Mine are all in the boonies, and the remotely located IR sources make a huge difference.

Here's an interesting read: Spider Density