Something I had been meaning to post here is that I got a couple Ring security cameras about two months ago. Initially I got a couple interior cameras and pointed them out the window, but last week I went out to Clendenin and replaced the porch light with a Ring camera with two spotlights.

And today I discovered a common problem: wasps loooooove security cameras.

Since the wasps discovered my cameras this afternoon, I’ve gotten dozens of notifications on my phone from the Ring app. They mostly show one or more wasps crawling on the camera. At first I was a little annoyed, but then I got to wondering why the wasps were so interested in my camera, so I Googled the topic.

I learned that wasps are drawn to security cameras. This is apparently a known problem, so much so that I am a little annoyed that my Ring camera didn’t come with repellant clip-on of some kind, or at least a suggestion that I add one on my own.

I’m told it is really easy to repel wasps from security cameras; all you have to do is add a cat’s flea collar, or use a rubber band to attach a dryer sheet to the camera. (I sure do wish that Ring had mentioned that detail when they sold me the camera!)

Speaking of which, I am not that happy with Ring. Yes, the hardware is decent, and $100 per year for motion triggers and automated video recordings is okay, but all my experiences with Ring have convinced me that the engineers designed the system for themselves, and not the average user.

For example, Ring will only send notifications about my cameras to the smartphone I used to set up the service; they will not send emails (this may work for 20-somthing engineers, but it doesn’t work for the average household with 2 or more adults).

They also won’t let me add multiple phone numbers to the contact list, and then there is the issue with wasps (they’re not a serious issue in the urban parts of southern CA).

All in all, the service is not terrible, but I do keep finding its shortcomings.

EDIT (8 November 2023): Speaking of shortcomings, I just noticed a feature I wished it had. My internet was down for most of Tuesday, which means my cameras were offline. It would be useful if Ring had a log of when the cameras are offline, but it does not.

P.S. Yes, I have heard about the privacy issues, and I am aware of how cozy Ring is with law enforcement. I’m not happy about it, but I needed a security camera which could be set up fast and would work remotely. I was told to try Ring (there were no other recommendations). It was either problematic Ring, or nothing, so I decided to punt the issue down the road until I have time to research alternatives.