Spiders!

[griffsmom]

We'll be leaving in the morning for a weekend trip to a nearby cg.  DH brought the camper home yesterday so we could get it all packed up tonight.  Well, as I was loading stuff into the PU, I noticed a bazillion spider webs (really truly!), and found waaaaay too many black widow spiders for my liking.  And a couple of them were huge!!!  I got out my handy, dandy Raid and blasted the snot out of them, but I really don't relish the idea of having to kill 10 to 15 black widows each time we go camping.  My mom who is 78 this year camps with us and I have a 3 y/o DS, and I don't want either of them getting bitten.
 
We store our camper at an outside RV storage lot, which is really an USMC base that was closed down about 8 years ago.  The RVs are parked on the old runways and ours happens to have a large grassy field directly behind it. But I've noticed that even the RVs in the middle of the runway and not next to the field have spider webs all over them. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep the spiders away from our camper in the first place? They like to hang out on the undercarriage...

[Acts 2:38 girl]

Hmmm, shrink wrap?  How about those huge rolls of plastic wrap we use at Home Depo to secure boxes in the overhead? Very strong and will keep your pop up fresh!  

[vjm1639]

eewww...this gives me the shivers just thinking about it..:yikes: I think I'd go to a pest control place or give them a call...someplace such as terminex and ask them what would be the best to eraticate the ones that are there now, and to prevent any more.    THe good news is....the spiders are probably keeping the PU clear of other insects;) .

[mike4947]

Once again my favorite rant....SEAL UP THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAILER.
 
It'll only take about a 1/2 hour, two people, a tube of caulk and a flashlight.
One person in the trailer with the flashlight shinning it every where including inside all the cupboards and under the dinette seats and the other under the trailer with the caulk. You caulk till you can't see any light coming through.
You'll be amazed at how amny gaps, cracks, and holes there are under there. Every one a front door with a welcome mat for insects.

[angelsmom10]

Is the 1st time you've had this problem?  Have you always kept it there?
 
We've noticed this year has been very bad for spiders... when we've camped just over a weekend, we get spider webs on the PU (we never had that problem, even if we camped for a week).... DH is assuming that since we had the cicada's that they fed the predator's of the spiders which left an abundance of spiders.  
 
Maybe this is the same situation for you and you won't see it next year (HOPEFULLY)

[SkipP]

There's only three points for the spiders to get on the camper from (if the stabilizers are up) so if you found something to put around the wheels and tongue jack, you'd solve most of the problem. Maybe on of the granular pest repelents, but it would need to be replaced from time to time.

Shrink wrapping it, I'm afraid, would trap in moisture and create more problems than it solves.
 
Are there street lights in the area? They attract flying insects that in turn attract spiders.

[garym053]

How about Downy Fabric Softener sheets? Seems to work for just about everything else? If you had to put a couple inside and then wrap the tongue jack and axles with them. I don't know if it will work, but cheap enough and worth a try!
I would also follow up on the reply that said Seal Everything!!!
Good Luck! I'm 6'3" and 240 lbs and you want to see me start shrinking in fear- Just bring a big ole hairy spider at me!!
Good Luck!

[Wild Wild Qwest]

I agree with Mike4947. Sealing the camper will help you eliminate the spiders and other pesky pests.

In addition, here is some helpful info: [http://www.pestproducts.com/spiders.htm]

[Gone-Camping]

If there are that many spiders, perhaps you need to rent a bug fogger and spray the area around the camper (wide area)...

[griffsmom]

Thanks for all the helpful info!  I should have been clearer in my original post--the spiders were all outside--thankfully!!!  Please keep the suggestions and posts coming!

[6Quigs]

Thanks for all the helpful info!  I should have been clearer in my original post--the spiders were all outside--thankfully!!!  Please keep the suggestions and posts coming!

Hi Lori,

When Dave is bringing the camper home from the storage lot, he needs to drive a little faster. I've heard that spiders webs all blow off when you reach speeds of 85 mph.

And if he gets a speeding ticket, I'm sure you can find a good Lawyer to fight the ticket!!

Now, in your original post, on Wednesday night, 8/25/04, you said that you were going camping in the morning for a weekend trip.
It is now Friday morning, 2 days later.
Did you not go on the trip?
Were you lying to us about actually going camping?
Or did you bring your computer camping with you?

[griffsmom]

Hi Lori,
 
When Dave is bringing the camper home from the storage lot, he needs to drive a little faster. I've heard that spiders webs all blow off when you reach speeds of 85 mph.
 
And if he gets a speeding ticket, I'm sure you can find a good Lawyer to fight the ticket!!

Just based on your posts over in the Zoom thread, you're hired! :J
 
 

Now, in your original post, on Wednesday night, 8/25/04, you said that you were going camping in the morning for a weekend trip.
It is now Friday morning, 2 days later.
Did you not go on the trip?
Were you lying to us about actually going camping?
Or did you bring your computer camping with you?

I don't have any vacation time left, so while I worked yesterday, Dave drove the camper to the cg (about 30 minutes from our home), set it up according to my detailed, and I might add, excellent instructions and had it perfectly cozy and homey by the time I got off work, picked up my mom and Griffin from preschool and drove to the cg.  This morning I got up early, stopped at home for a quick shower and then drove into work.  Griffy's spending the day with Nana and Daddy, and I'll be back at the cg this evening just in time to have a nice glass of wine and start dinner.    
 
vacation, shmacation.  I'm going camping!! :sombraro:

[Camping Coxes]

I don't have any vacation time left, so while I worked yesterday, Dave drove the camper to the cg (about 30 minutes from our home), set it up according to my detailed, and I might add, excellent instructions and had it perfectly cozy and homey by the time I got off work, picked up my mom and Griffin from preschool and drove to the cg. This morning I got up early, stopped at home for a quick shower and then drove into work. Griffy's spending the day with Nana and Daddy, and I'll be back at the cg this evening just in time to have a nice glass of wine and start dinner.
 
vacation, shmacation. I'm going camping!! :sombraro:

Wow!  Now that's a dedicated camper!  Neither sleet, nor rain, nor inconvenient work schedule shall keep her from her appointed camping trip!  Lori, we mortal campers salute you for your dedication!  :!

[tlhdoc]

Making the best of a bad situation.  It isn't fair that you have camping to do and don't have vacation time to do it. :yikes:

[topcat7736]

When I lived in Arizona, the state was crawling with big black widows. Everywhere I looked there were webs with the monsters hanging on them. Why? Trillions of CRICKETS! It turns out that black widows love eating ,crickets. So, anywhere the crickets are, (like an overgrown grassy abandoned Marine base), you'll find the widows hanging around. Unless you can find a way to keep the widows food supply away from their webs, you're out of luck. Kill one & another will just move in.