[TowerTalk] SteppIR vertical

[Steve Daniel]

Good morning. I have the 6-40 meter vertical which, until recently, has worked well. Suddenly, I was hearing nothing. The element seems to cycle properly but no signals. 
After checking the coax and finding no problem I opened the unit at the bottom of the antenna to find it full of ants and not a few small spiders. The gasket was in good repair so they must be entering from underneath somehow. My question is this. How can I clean out the mess they have left without damaging the motor? Can I use an insecticide to kill the little critters? Can I hose out the unit, allow it to dry, try to determine the entry point and then plug it? Then perhaps I can determine what the electrical problem is. I am just not sure how aggressive I can be in cleaning the unit. If anyone has any experience or suggestions I would certainly appreciate the input. 73, Steve, NN4T.