Carpenter Ants In Attic Insulation

Can ants live in insulation or can ants get through insulation.

Carpenter ants in attic insulation. Carpenter ants will enter the house through wet damaged wood. Excavate their nests in wood that is sound or decayed by moisture or damaged by other insects. Indoor infestations can be tracked by points of entry such as attic vents foundations cracks electric wires pipes and telephone lines. The most common trait that carpenter ants are known for is their love of wood as a preferred harborage space for their colony.

There was a pretty good amount and some were huge. Ants will build nests where ever they can find a suitable area to do so. Carpenter ants typically seek wood that has been softened by moisture decay or other insects. Your attic hosts some electricals including cabling for various appliances.

The good news here is that the ants are visible to you and they are still going outdoors to forage which means they will walk through areas that that you treat outdoors. Yes they can do both. I hit them with some raid ant killer and got a lot of them but a lot fled the scene. Moist wood and fiberglass or foam insulation provide ideal locations for ant nests.

Carpenter ants prefer to nest in structural lumber such as in wall voids hollow doors windows and foam panels. Carpenter ants found in attic. So do ants live in insulation. While it would be unusual to have an entire colony in your attic it is not unheard of.

Carpenter ants have also been known to invade electrical wiring. Feed on sugars carbohydrates and greases. I hit them with some raid ant killer and got alot of them but alot them fled the scene. They need a constant water source to survive.

However it is important to realize that carpenter ants in the toronto area are also known to rip through and infest foam insulation. Carpenter ants do not eat wood but damage wood through their nest building. There was a pretty good amount and some were huge. When carpenter ants invade these wires they eat through the insulation posing a potential fire hazard from short circuiting.

So i was removing attic insulation and found some carpenter ants just hanging out under the insulation blown in cellulose. Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources including tree stumps firewood or landscaping. Do ants eat insulation. This is the reason why carpenter ants that settle indoors can cause damage.