Spiders in the bathtub

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 12:30 AM

So a few weeks ago, I started getting the TT ready for a few planned trips, after it had sat for about 2 months.
Went to clean up the bath area, and found about a 100 + tiny cream colored spiders all over the upper shower area, on the shower head, in the skylight, behind the toilet....I was NOT happy.
Anyway, I killed all of them, at least all I found, and continued to clean all the walls, toilet, etc.
Went back into trailer almost a week later, and it was full of spiders again in the bathroom only, same areas as before! So I AGAIN kill them all, spraying them, wiping them up, etc.
Go back a week later, and...yup, more spiders in the shower!

After MUCH anguish, because I'm pretty sure these are baby wolf spiders, EEEEKKKK, and I have not yet found Mamma spider, I think maybe they were living in the gray water tank, and coming up through the drain. SO we ran water through all the drains 2x with soapy water, let it sit overnight, drained, then covered the drain with duck tape (pretty) until I could get a plug. So far, no more spiders.

Anyone else have this happen? What did you do? Is it even possible the spiders were living in the empty gray water pipes? I was thinking if the Mamma went down the drain, say, in the kitchen, she could be living in the pipe???

TURBS · 08-17-2012, 07:17 AM

I'm not sure but can wolf spiders swim under water?
They would have to swim under water to get through your p traps.
Ron

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 09:30 AM

No, there was no water in the pipes.

punkaccountant · 08-17-2012, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresaInCAL

No, there was no water in the pipes.

It sounds like that's your solution then.

TURBS · 08-17-2012, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresaInCAL

No, there was no water in the pipes.

Just curious but there has to be water in them unless you installed new p traps and never ran the water.
If thats the case your camper should smell from gray tank odor.

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

Just curious but there has to be water in them unless you installed new p traps and never ran the water.
If thats the case your camper should smell from gray tank odor.

There was no water in them, because we weren't using it, and had drained all of the water out, except for a little water in septic.

Do you keep gray water in your trailer when your not using it?

OldCoot · 08-17-2012, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresaInCAL

No, there was no water in the pipes.

P traps cannot work without water in them. The water seals the open pipe from the fumes, etc from below the shower/sink drains.

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunnnc

P traps cannot work without water in them. The water seals the open pipe from the fumes, etc from below the shower/sink drains.

OK, hold on...I may be on to a "ah ha" moment! SO what your saying is that when you get home from camping, you put more water in the gray tank, just to seal fumes/gases?

Keep in mind, I'm blond...

TURBS · 08-17-2012, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresaInCAL

There was no water in them, because we weren't using it, and had drained all of the water out, except for a little water in septic.

Do you keep gray water in your trailer when your not using it?

Teresa,
The point I'm making is there are traps under your shower that ahold water to keep odors out of your camper.
They cannot be drained unless removed.

Also yes we put several gallons of water back in all of our waste tanks with water softener and laundry detergent.
(Geo method)

OldCoot · 08-17-2012, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresaInCAL

OK, hold on...I may be on to a "ah ha" moment! SO what your saying is that when you get home from camping, you put more water in the gray tank, just to seal fumes/gases?

Keep in mind, I'm blond...

NO! The water will stay in the p trap just with normal use. You don't have to do anything.

TURBS · 08-17-2012, 10:46 AM

Never ever leave your black tank dry.

We dont leave our grays dry either.

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 10:47 AM

Ooooooooooooohhhhhh! Now I understand!

Read about the Geo method too...will do! THANK YOU!!

TURBS · 08-17-2012, 10:48 AM

Unfortunately I think your on the hunt for the spider entry point yet.
Good luck

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunnnc

NO! The water will stay in the p trap just with normal use. You don't have to do anything!

OK, so looks like I've got 2 issues here, not just 1. So, if there IS water in the p trap, there is probability no way the spiders could be coming UP from the drain.

So the question still stands...where are the spiders getting in from?

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 10:53 AM

Turbo, yup...

TURBS · 08-17-2012, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresaInCAL

Turbo, yup...

There's a good chance a nest might have been brought in somehow . Via clothes or boxes.
Now the reason the may like the shower so well is the skylight. It provides great warmth.

Also when and if you do the geo method ( and you should)
Do it before you leave the campground if you can while everything is still wet and moist.

Ron

TeresaInCAL · 08-17-2012, 11:35 AM

Thanks Ron.

punkaccountant · 08-17-2012, 11:55 AM

It is a little unusual that they kept coming back to the tub. Perhaps there was a nest/web in the drain (before the trap) and the water flow and tape took care of it.

trudinator · 08-17-2012, 12:48 PM

This makes my skin crawl! I HATE spiders! We had some around our fresh water inlet about a month ago. Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny baby spiders. We killed them all, then the next day there were a few more. We killed them, and so far we havn't seen them come back. But these were OUTSIDE. If they were inside I'd have to remove EVERYTHING and search out the mama. Without getting to the source, your problem will continue.

TeresaInCAL · 07-13-2013, 12:16 AM

So I have an update on this problem. Recently, the spiders have come back, even though there is water in the black & gray tanks.

I had been reading a thread about how to quiet a pump using insulation, and our pump is loud, so I thought, sure, lets find the pump, and see what's up. Well, I thought the pump was under the back sink, there is a panel there that had to be unscrewed. So I take 2 screws off at the top and peek in, looking for the pump. What do I find? Not the pump, but more then 10 spider nests, each about the size of your thumb tip!! So I get the vacuum out (brought the Kirby from the house, I didn't want to miss any), vac up all the webs, and nests, never did see 1 spider of any size though. As I cleaned it all up, I noticed a pluming pipe, I believe it's a gray water pipe going through the floor, and it's just open all around it. At least 1/2 inch worth, and I believe this is just open to the underside of the camper, so it may be my entry point. Bought some foam sealer, and will get that sealed up tomorrow.
While I was at it, I also took the access panel off by the tub, mainly looking for spiders. Didn't find any, but I did find a few webs. Vacuumed that area up too.
Finally, I checked the panel under the fridge, BINGO water pump! Noticed there, that they did use the spray foam, to seal up one big hole, but there were 2 other small areas that they used some kind of black foam? Well this has come loose, and no longer plugs up the holes, so I'll spray foam them too. When I'm done with all of that, I'll put the pipe insulation in the lines, and see if it makes the area quieter.

Anyway, just wanted to share all this because I'm sure not everyone would even know they should check these areas for openings.

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