The elements can be tough on trail cameras, but just a little bit of camera trap maintenance between deployments can help to keep your cameras performing their best. In this article we share maintenance tips from our experience of running 50 cameras for the Yorkshire Pine Marten Project for the past 4 years: these cameras have spent over 1,000 days in the forest! The routine maintenance tips we share here can apply whether you’re running one trail camera in your garden or many cameras in the field.
What camera trap?
A quick clean of your camera traps each time you collect them will help a lot in the long run. A mucky lens is no good for capturing footage of the long-lost species you’re searching for.
What do you need?
If a camera is left for a few weeks in the forest, there’s a good chance it’ll become home to some insects and it will have picked up some leaves, maybe some sap, and other forest offerings. Encourage the insects to move along and then use a soft-bristled brush to remove any loose muck from the camera. Use an old cloth to wipe down your camera strap and lock too, as these can often pick up a lot of detritus. The aim here is to try and leave as much of the forest in the forest as possible!
Use a soft-bristled brush to remove loose muck
A microfibre cloth is perfect for giving your cameras a clean once you’ve collected them in. In most scenarios, you’ll be able to clean the lens, sensor, LED covers and camera body with just a microfibre cloth. If the camera body is extra grubby (e.g. tree sap!), try using a warm, damp cloth, but make sure you fully wring out your cloth before rubbing it on the camera: camera traps are weatherproof not waterproof.
Use a microfibre cloth to clean the lens
In humid and damp conditions, trail cameras can accumulate moisture inside when exposed to these conditions for prolonged periods. This doesn’t usually become a problem, so long as you occasionally let your cameras air out indoors. With our Yorkshire camera traps we usually have to do this a couple of times between Autumn and Spring. A tell-tale sign that your camera is collecting moisture will be when you start seeing hazy-looking images. Once you’ve got your camera back home: open up the front of the camera, release the battery tray, remove all the batteries, and take out the memory card too. Leave this all open to air out for a day or two indoors.
Let your cameras air out after being in damp/humid conditions
A few key checks can save you the disappointment of missing the action. If you’re using lots of camera traps, your future self will thank you for making it easier to get going next time you’re in the field.
In most situations, we recommend using lithium AA batteries for best camera trap performance unless there is a rechargeable battery option recommended by the manufacturer. Check that the camera battery level is sufficient for your needs, or if you want a more accurate reading, use a multimeter.
Multimeter reading example: Lots of modern camera traps such as Browning and Bushnell run off a 12v system: this means they need 12v to function properly. When you insert a fresh set of 8 x lithium AA batteries in a Browning trail camera, a multimeter will read around 14-14.5v (one AA lithium battery is roughly 1.85v). For example, for the Yorkshire Pine Marten Project’s Browning Recon Force Advantage cameras, we don’t redeploy batteries if the whole tray is below 13v: those get relegated to being used in equipment that doesn’t get left in the forest for weeks on end. You can pick up a multimeter for around £10, which is a worthwhile investment if you’re running more than a few camera traps and want a clearer idea of how long you expect your batteries to continue lasting in the field. How quickly you get through batteries will of course depend on your camera model, settings and location. If in doubt, use a fresh set!
A multimeter can give a more accurate battery pack reading
Format an SD card when it is in the camera to make sure you have plenty of space for images as well as ensuring the SD card will work properly. This is especially important if you are switching the SD card between different camera brands where file types could differ. Depending on the camera model, this is usually achieved by going to “Delete all” or “Format” in the camera settings.
If your camera previously ran out of battery on the last survey or you removed your battery tray to let it air out, it will most likely have forgotten the time and date settings. Check your other settings are correct too! This is good prep before you head back into the field as settings can be easily overlooked when you’re busy trying to find your perfect camera spot.
Check your settings are correct
If you’re using more than a few cameras and they’re stored in the same place, the straps and locks can quickly become a tangled mess. Tie up your straps and locks to avoid this happening.
Avoid a tangled mess!
If at any point your camera isn’t working as expected, check out our Quick Trail Camera Troubleshooting guide to get to the bottom of the issue.
Happy camera trapping!
