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steven argus Posted: Feb 16, 2011 12:09 PM	Carpenter ants Just got off the phone w/ customer. They have carpenter ants. Exterminator said "ants love sprayfoam." We all know that to be untrue, but is there any documentation stating the truth? The building is a 4 story 100 year structure. There was lots of rot before hand, there was even a few fires in the buildings history. The building was completely rehabed. On a side note: The building owner said that they heat 7000 SF for just a few hundred dollars per month because of the spray foam. Also said that the fire dept. took some samples of the foam and tryed to burn it. The fire dept. loves the foam and now want it installed in their new firehouse soon to be built. Thanks.
Craig Gifford Posted: Feb 16, 2011 05:37 PM	The carpenter ants love moist/decaying wood not spray foam, moisture infiltration is attracking them...not spray foam. Have your client check for roof leaks, missing flashing or drip edges....then he needs to locate the nest.
steven argus Posted: Feb 16, 2011 06:52 PM	Envelopeman, Thanks very much for the help. All ready mentioned that to the client. What I'm specifically looking for is documentation on the subject. As I've stated in the past, I'm just a simple redneck foamer. It's my word against Mr. exterminator. The client is not upset, not blaming the foam, just wants some reasurance. Its an older building that was gutted and redone. The organic exterminator mentioned to the client that "ants love spray foam." Ants , in fact, love wet, rotten wood - not foam. Just would like to show customer the docs.
andy buff Posted: Feb 16, 2011 07:23 PM	guiness i have a piece of 2''blue insulation board in the pool house that the ants made a home out. cheers
mason Posted: Feb 16, 2011 08:02 PM	Carpenter ants can be a problem if you spray over damp wood that already has them in it. The foam won't stop them from burrowing into the foam. But if you spray over a good substrate and they have regular insect treatment on the building it should not be a concern.
steven argus Posted: Feb 16, 2011 10:20 PM	Substrate was bone dry. Some new, some old, but all dry. 16% or less. Does anyone have any paperwork or interesting articles stating that insects are not attracted to foam? I know critters can chew through it if they are determined, but I can't believe they "enjoy" it. I'm just trying to debunk the exterminator's statement. He's making it sound like it was the foam that CAUSED the ant problem.
John Cottle Posted: Feb 17, 2011 12:10 AM	Guiness, You might want to read this. It does mention spray foam insulation specifically. I posted the link to the left.
mason Posted: Feb 17, 2011 06:00 AM	Dupont conducted studies on sprayfoam in the 60s and 70s where they buried foam in hot humid climate (Houston) and dug it up every year for 10 years. Next to it they buried wood panels. Termites completely destroyed the wood while only nibbled a little on the edges of the sprayfoam. Now the formulas are different now, different blowing agents. But the resins, surfactants, fire retardants and catalysts are all very similar.
steven argus Posted: Feb 17, 2011 10:39 PM	Thanks very much for the help guys. JC, great article. Mason, interesting story. So, I believe it is important to note that the foam is not a food source and the foam did not attract the ants. There could be fiberglass or cellulose in the walls and the ants still would have been there anyways. And thanks Envelopeman, you were right, the nest needs to be located and destroyed.

Author

Comments

steven argus

Posted: Feb 16, 2011 12:09 PM

Carpenter ants

Just got off the phone w/ customer. They have carpenter ants. Exterminator said "ants love sprayfoam." We all know that to be untrue, but is there any documentation stating the truth?

The building is a 4 story 100 year structure. There was lots of rot before hand, there was even a few fires in the buildings history. The building was completely rehabed.

On a side note: The building owner said that they heat 7000 SF for just a few hundred dollars per month because of the spray foam. Also said that the fire dept. took some samples of the foam and tryed to burn it. The fire dept. loves the foam and now want it installed in their new firehouse soon to be built.

Thanks.

Craig Gifford

Posted: Feb 16, 2011 05:37 PM

The carpenter ants love moist/decaying wood not spray foam, moisture infiltration is attracking them...not spray foam. Have your client check for roof leaks, missing flashing or drip edges....then he needs to locate the nest.

steven argus

Posted: Feb 16, 2011 06:52 PM

Envelopeman, Thanks very much for the help. All ready mentioned that to the client. What I'm specifically looking for is documentation on the subject. As I've stated in the past, I'm just a simple redneck foamer. It's my word against Mr. exterminator. The client is not upset, not blaming the foam, just wants some reasurance. Its an older building that was gutted and redone. The organic exterminator mentioned to the client that "ants love spray foam." Ants , in fact, love wet, rotten wood - not foam. Just would like to show customer the docs.

andy buff

Posted: Feb 16, 2011 07:23 PM

guiness i have a piece of 2''blue insulation board in the pool house that the ants made a home out. cheers

mason

Posted: Feb 16, 2011 08:02 PM

Carpenter ants can be a problem if you spray over damp wood that already has them in it. The foam won't stop them from burrowing into the foam. But if you spray over a good substrate and they have regular insect treatment on the building it should not be a concern.

steven argus

Posted: Feb 16, 2011 10:20 PM

Substrate was bone dry. Some new, some old, but all dry. 16% or less. Does anyone have any paperwork or interesting articles stating that insects are not attracted to foam? I know critters can chew through it if they are determined, but I can't believe they "enjoy" it. I'm just trying to debunk the exterminator's statement. He's making it sound like it was the foam that CAUSED the ant problem.

John Cottle

Posted: Feb 17, 2011 12:10 AM

Guiness,

You might want to read this. It does mention spray foam insulation specifically. I posted the link to the left.

mason

Posted: Feb 17, 2011 06:00 AM

Dupont conducted studies on sprayfoam in the 60s and 70s where they buried foam in hot humid climate (Houston) and dug it up every year for 10 years. Next to it they buried wood panels. Termites completely destroyed the wood while only nibbled a little on the edges of the sprayfoam. Now the formulas are different now, different blowing agents. But the resins, surfactants, fire retardants and catalysts are all very similar.

steven argus

Posted: Feb 17, 2011 10:39 PM

Thanks very much for the help guys. JC, great article. Mason, interesting story. So, I believe it is important to note that the foam is not a food source and the foam did not attract the ants. There could be fiberglass or cellulose in the walls and the ants still would have been there anyways.

And thanks Envelopeman, you were right, the nest needs to be located and destroyed.

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