Author Topic: Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working  (Read 5739 times)

LesCimes

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Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working
« on: June 24, 2012, 09:22:38 PM »
Curious story: a local weather station friend called to ask if I had noticed his station was no longer giving wind speed readings. I hadn't noticed but a quick check online verified his statement. On closer inspection, he discovered that spider web had locked his wind cups in position. As his anemometer is at 33 feet, it took a bit of probing with a long pole to spin the cups loose.

I recall reading once of someone (on the LWC forum??) who had a spider problem which resulted in his tip bucket on the rain gauge from tipping.

Watch out for spiders! And don't forget to watch the new SpiderMan movie!

Tornado Tim

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Re: Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2012, 05:02:19 AM »
That happened to me a few times in the old location I had the anemometer, particularly when it gets foggy around here and when there is no wind.

Doc

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Re: Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2012, 01:46:05 AM »
The spiders in the rain bucket was probably mine, I've had numerous run ins with the little eightleggited beasties over the years.  Just gotta add that to my monthly maintenance lists.   [banghead]

From Ghoulies and Ghosties and long leggited beasties and things tha' go bump in tha night, good lords deliver us and keep 'em out of the weather works!

Doc
 [goofy]
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elagache

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Howdy LesCimes, Docs, and V-8 Buick . . . . (Oops,  wrong forum!!  ;D ) WeatherCat spider gladiators  [biggrin]

The spiders in the rain bucket was probably mine, I've had numerous run ins with the little eightleggited beasties over the years.  Just gotta add that to my monthly maintenance lists.   [banghead]

Yeah, yeah, all the hype but not substance . . . . . So what have you done to combat the darn little beasties!! .

Way back on . . . . June 13th (this year even!!) I suggested mint extract: http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?topic=308.msg2891#msg2891.

The Grand Poohbah proposed an even more radical but perhaps intriguing solution of a bit of dog flea collar serving as an effective insect repellant in small spaces: http://athena.trixology.com/index.php?topic=308.msg2893#msg2893.

I'd be willing to try The Grand Poohbah's proposal but buying a dog's flea collar just for the experiment seemed like something of a effort.

Any dog owners out there willing to sacrifice their pet's supplies for the sake of science?

For those of us who don't choose between cats and dogs, why shouldn't a cat flea collar serve just as well?

So tell us Doc what are your favorite spider repellants!!

And you thought that spider wars were straightforward!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Doc

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Re: Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2012, 12:52:07 AM »
Spider control:

We have something like 60 different spider varieties around here, they don't all try to live in my rain bucket fortunately.  According to my exterminator, there are no products that will work to repel the little beasties.  However he gave me an old wive's tale about repelling spiders, he said to vacuum up the spiders inside the bucket into a catch chamber (had to buy this, it goes into the hose and collects anything sucked up).  Take the live or newly killed spiders and crush them to make a paste, add a few drops of water to make it a little soupy.  Use this spider soup to paint around the openings inside the rain bucket.  The spiders coming in will smell the stench of dead spiders and flee according to the old wives that came up with this one.  I haven't tried it yet.

I have tried a tick and flea spray that my vet sold me to control those buggers on my pets, so far it has worked on the rain bucket.  The product is made by Adams and I've been using it to kill bugs for years, it works on anything it hits, including spiders.  I respray the inside of the bucket every two months.  So far this year only a couple of tiny spiders have been found.

A suggestion on the spider silk clogging the anemometer.  I think this is all in the location of the sensors.  In this area we have spiders whose young will climb to a high point and use spider silk as a parachute to help them disperse after they hatch, a lot of that silk gets stuck to the launching points like an anemometer.  If you mount the sensors on a tall enough poll that's high enough they won't make the climb.  You can also place pigeon spikes around the pipe a couple of feet below the sensors.  This way the spiders will launch or nest in the spikes instead of the sensor.    If the sensors are easily accessed, you can also use a garden flame thrower, give the sensor a very quick blast of flame and the silk is gone.

Food for thought!

Doc
Take care and have fun!  Slainte Mah!

elagache

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Thanks for the Adams ref (Re: Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working)
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2012, 10:38:06 PM »
Howdy Doc and thanks for all the tips!  [tup]

Things are very dry around here now, so the bugs are "controlled" by the heat and lack of humidity around any of the weather instruments.  However, the rains will return - I hope!!  [sweat2]

I have tried a tick and flea spray that my vet sold me to control those buggers on my pets, so far it has worked on the rain bucket.  The product is made by Adams and I've been using it to kill bugs for years, it works on anything it hits, including spiders.  I respray the inside of the bucket every two months.  So far this year only a couple of tiny spiders have been found.

I just got on the Adams website and I'm guessing it must be one of their fogger products: http://www.adamsfleacontrol.com/Product/Category/731.  I'll be looking into this around Autumn!!

Thanks again for the tip!!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Doc

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Re: Vantage Pro 2 Anemometer Quit Working
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2012, 06:44:15 AM »
I'm not sure if they are the same Edouard.  Mine is called ADAMS Plus Flea & Tick Mist with Insect Growth Regulator, it's manufactured by a company called Farnam Pet Products and comes in a 32 oz spray bottle. 

OK, it's the same site, here is the stuff that I am using http://www.adamsfleacontrol.com/Product/Category/725

This is the stuff that worked for me
Take care and have fun!  Slainte Mah!