Spiders Shacking up in Side Mirror Housings - How to Stop The Buggers?!

mad__llama on 15/03/2017 - 18:18

I have to park outside overnight and every morning my side mirrors are covered with webbing. I wipe them away and the next morning they're back again! The damn spiders live deep in the side mirror housing and are impossible to get out…

Occasionally the culprit responsible will be caught red-handed (clawed?) outside the housing and "removed". The next day someone new has moved in and the cycle repeats.

Anyone else have this problem? What to do? Is it safe to spray insect spray inside the housings without destroying the mechanism/electronics/paintwork?

Automotive

Comments

  • Forskin on 15/03/2017 - 18:27

    Spray a bit of brake cleaner and they will drop out within seconds

    • Euphemistic on 15/03/2017 - 20:51

      Brake cleaner, contact cleaner etc. something that won't leave any residue (like bug spray). The solvents in brake cleaner are very effective at ending the life of unwanted bugs hiding where only the spray will reach.

      • subywagon on 19/03/2017 - 22:20

        Wouldn't brake cleaner damage paint?

  • PVA on 15/03/2017 - 18:36
    +7

    spray a little insect surface spray in the gaps.

  • oscargamer on 15/03/2017 - 19:13
    +12

    put up a sign? (very small writing, so you don't scare them too much)

    • MJ101 on 16/03/2017 - 15:23

      I don't think they can read.

      • oscargamer on 16/03/2017 - 17:35

        are they immigrants? OMG ????? or just need tiny tiny glasses?

  • endotherm on 15/03/2017 - 23:23

    I have the exact same thing, on the car mirror and motorcycle brake handle. Tried insect spray and surface sprays but they are ineffectual (they are arachnids not insects after all). Might try brake cleaner as suggested but I suspect it might be a bit harsh on the plastic finish.

    • PVA on 15/03/2017 - 23:35

      strange, our insect sprays even have a picture of a spider and other insects (ants flies etc) showing what it will kill.

      • endotherm on 16/03/2017 - 00:54

        Every time I want to kill particular bugs, their pictures are conspicuously absent from my cans…

  • sparkles on 16/03/2017 - 00:22

    Same here, I try blasting them at the car wash but they must hold on tight. I've some living in the moulding of the rear wiper as well. Not sure I want to spray the car with weird chemicals in case it ruins the plastics or finish.

    • [Deactivated] on 16/03/2017 - 01:18

      Not sure I want to spray the car with weird chemicals in case it ruins the plastics or finish.

      I tend to see spiders as mostly harmless and leave them alone, even if they're indoors (unless they're white tails or red backs).. so I feel pretty sad about these little bug eating guys being killed for choosing the wrong place to spin a web.

      I know there's no perfect option and it's prob silly to worry about the lives of some spiders but here I am feeling bad about us caring more about ruining the paint work on our cars than these little dudes that do no harm.

      Sad face.

      • try2bhelpful on 22/03/2017 - 17:19

        can understand the sad face, but we people who are shit scared of arachnids cannot take the risk of the little buggers walking across the windscreen mid trip. I can handle the little ones, but the big hairy ones are terrifying. It is no use trying to use logic here as there is something primordial in the reaction.

    • Euphemistic on 16/03/2017 - 07:02

      Brake cleaner and contact cleaner are designed to not impact plastics etc. brake cleaner is meant to dissolve excess fluid without harming anything else.

  • Yummy on 16/03/2017 - 01:01

    Keep wiping the webs away. Since there is no web = no food, eventually it will get tired, give up & move to the next car. Works for me.

  • Nugs on 16/03/2017 - 10:40

    stuff foam in the gaps

  • altomic on 16/03/2017 - 14:05
    +2

    Bikies

    • oscargamer on 16/03/2017 - 17:35

      tiny spider bikies !

  • kahn on 16/03/2017 - 15:57
    +3

    If your side mirrors attract some bad hombres, then the only sensible solution is to build a wall.

  • bp17 on 18/03/2017 - 21:50
    +1

    Spray some insect spray inside a plastic bag. Wrap the bag over the mirror before you go to bed. Wake up in the morning and problem solved

  • nivag01 on 20/03/2017 - 10:57

    Use the insect spray or brake cleaner with a cigarette lighter or match! they will be nice crispy within a few minutes.

  • try2bhelpful on 22/03/2017 - 17:17

    I wonder if the surface spray might work better than standard bug spray - it is meant to be longer lasting.

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