Bicycle Mechanics - Insects inside bike frame

Hi, I just bought a colnago bike frame off of ebay and when I got it and was admiring it's splendid shininess, I noticed that there was a foreign bug on the floor right underneath the hole from the seat tube. I've been finding more of the same bug in and around my bike frame/packaging, and there was one hanging out where the bottom bracket would be. Does anybody know how to eradicate bugs from the inside of a frame without destroying/rusting the frame?

feed the frame some spiders

I don't think insecticide has anything in it that would cause permanent damage to your frame.

Blow it out with compressed air?

There are certain insects that are fond of cardboard and packing materials. Other than for reasons of hiding/refuge, your frame won't provide longterm sustenance. You could chase out the squatters with some compressed air...or get a gecko.

take out the seat post, and spray in bug spray. It won't rust or destroy your frame. Maybe rinse out the frame with water and dry if you're worried.

on second thought, any sort of petroleum based frame saver would kill those bugs anyways.

More race-related injuries have been caused by the Italian cromobeetle than all other insects combined.

Some guy brought me a beat-up old bike that he'd left in his yard for who-knows-how long. His curt command to me was: "Make it shine." Well - yessir! I did have to call this guy back on the phone to indicate various things needed replacement (as you might imagine of a 'yard-bike'). His reply was the same: "Make it shine."

I tore that bugger down to the frame and was about to open the bottom-bracket when: The BIGGEST black ants you ever saw came jumping from the BB. They were at least 1" long - some longer. Then they came carrying their queen out. Into a cloud of RAID insect-killer. I cleaned it all out for Mr. Shine and brought the Yard-Bike back to life.

Mr. Shine came to fetch his terrarium, and wasn't too pleased at what I charged him. It was perfectly reasonable. No extra. When he snarled over the bill, I explained calmly: "Well, I had to really work the bugs out." He paid.

I don't recommend bug spray on your frame if it's an aluminum frame, I have heard that deet and aluminum don't get along

Wd-40

I don't recommend bug spray on your frame if it's an aluminum frame, I have heard that deet and aluminum don't get along

why on earth would you want to spray an insect repellent and not an insecticide into the frame is beyond me :roflmao2:

More race-related injuries have been caused by the Italian cromobeetle than all other insects combined.

+1, True, there is another varient, the chromosnail.
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm215/roccobike_2008/Snail002.jpg
This one came in to the Trek factory and promptly moved the mountain bike assembly line where he/she hid on this bottom bracket for about 20 years before being removed during a re-lube I was performing on a vintage, 80s Trek 800. Apparently this bug feasted on a diet of Phil Wood's lube and chromoly steel in the BB. Upon removing the chromosnail from this BB, the end promptly fell off.
PS, I would be more concerned with live bugs getting into your house. The bugs won't live very long in a bike frame.

Some guy brought me a beat-up old bike that he'd left in his yard for who-knows-how long. His curt command to me was: "Make it shine." Well - yessir! I did have to call this guy back on the phone to indicate various things needed replacement (as you might imagine of a 'yard-bike'). His reply was the same: "Make it shine."

Mr. Shine came to fetch his terrarium, and wasn't too pleased at what I charged him. It was perfectly reasonable. No extra. When he snarled over the bill, I explained calmly: "Well, I had to really work the bugs out." He paid.

It's a little off topic but I've learned to either get AT LEAST half of the money up front or simply refuse the job. Guys like this don't have an attachment to the bike and will often simply leave the bike and stiff you after you've invested your time and replacement parts.

We get lots of bikes in for repair that have set in a shed for years. Several times I've been surprised by a black widow jumping out from various places/components. A little spray of Clean Streak seems to quickly dispatch the bug, and dries with no residue.

I have found a wide variety of mummified bugs inside bike frames and am always cautious when I work on bikes that have been stored outside as I really like spiders and would prefer to relocate them than kill them.

Bike frames make such a nice base for webs.

Older style open seatposts seem to have been really good for allowing bugs to get inside the frame and I have found wasps and even bumblebees as well as a lot of smaller unidentifiable buggies.

Ever seen an ant-colony in a glass container? The tunnels and pathways? It looks like an alien bicycle-frame. As ants evolve, they may discover the wheel. Then it will be just a matter of time before we have to share the road with colonies of ants pedaling their communities down the road.

I wonder what kind of tires they'd like?

Working on a friend's bike a few weeks ago, was taking apart the headset. Pulled out the fork when I noticed a big Redback spider running down it.

Put the fork down, got some bug spray, yet it still survived, so I stomped it.

Needless to say I made sure the rest of that bike + the second bike I was fixing up was spider-free..

spiders seem to have an affinity for the inside of old sti shifters!

If you're located far north enough, just leave the frame outside next time it gets below freezing. Would avoid the need for any sprays, at least as a first pass.

Found a wasp inside the BB shell of a Varsity I flipped.