Ants in penoplex: where do they come from and how to remove them

Penoplex is used both in construction and in laying road/railway tracks. Penoplex, also known as expanded polystyrene and one of the varieties of lightweight foam, allows you not only to insulate a room, but also to preserve swollen soil, which makes it very attractive for many areas.

Penoplex easily withstands low temperatures, which can be critical for other building materials. Therefore, it is successfully used in the regions of the far north both in construction and for pipe insulation.

What is penoplex?

The material is used both in construction and when laying road/railway tracks.
Penoplex, also known as expanded polystyrene and one of the varieties of light foam, allows not only to insulate a room, but also to prevent soil swelling, which makes it very attractive for many areas. Penoplex can easily withstand low temperatures, which can be critical for other building materials. Therefore, it is used quite successfully in the Far North, both in construction and for insulating pipelines.

Features of the material

Like any other foam insulation, it has its advantages and disadvantages. Naturally, there are more of the former, but the latter also somewhat limit the scope of application of the material.

Advantages of penoplex:

• practically does not absorb moisture;
• environmentally friendly material;
• good strength indicator;
• ease of installation (cutting, laying, gluing);
• immunity to fatigue deformation;
• use for exterior decoration;
• there is no need to organize special storage conditions;
• resistant to fungus and bacteria;
• not flammable;
• democratic price.

The porous structure of penoplex acts as a fly in the ointment, which attracts rodents and ants. Mice begin to chew on the insulation, and insects begin to build nests in it.

Why is the material attractive?

Ants often infest modern thermal insulation materials. Insulation attracts them due to several properties:

• Porous structure that is easily gnawed by ants. You can build numerous passages in the insulation layer, making a full-fledged nest for the whole family.
• Ants eat penoplex and chew it without danger to health. The material is absolutely environmentally friendly.
• Insects live in penoplex, like people in modern apartments. The layers form chambers for storing food products, which, due to the properties of the insulation, do not mold, do not spoil, and retain their nutritional value for a long time.
• Ants in polystyrene reproduce quickly. The insulation provides all the comfortable conditions for egg laying, development, and maturation of larvae. Comfortable temperature, absence of dampness, mold, free circulation of fresh air.

Insects gnaw on penoplex constantly, expanding the boundaries of the anthill as the number of the family increases. Due to such activity, the insulation loses its thermal insulation qualities, and then completely turns into dust. How to protect penoplex from ants so that pests cannot settle in it, you need to think about it at the stage of installing the thermal insulation material.

Harm of ants for home owners

Ants do not bring anything good, among their main harmful aspects for humans are food spoilage, the transfer of many infectious bacteria (this can be explained by the fact that they constantly climb into dirty places and garbage), leaving dead brethren and their own excrement under baseboards, inside cracks and cracks, causing mold, mildew and fleas to grow there.

Small insects live in groups, moving along certain paths. They are able to move without problems at night, climbing onto a person’s bed and himself.

You need to understand that the bites of red ants are quite painful and dangerous - the affected area on the skin can acquire:

• Redness;
• Rashes;
• Swelling;
• Inflammatory processes.

Due to multiple bites, a person may experience:

• Dizziness;
• Intoxication;
• Loss of creation;
• Allergic reactions;
• Severe cases are fatal.

The following can be transmitted through the bites of such insects:

Ants, penoplex and foam plastic

Ants in polystyrene foam Methods for exterminating insects

Penoplex and foam plastic are cheap insulation with many advantages. Its service life is fifty years, and installation is easy and quick. They can insulate any part of the house. But a problem may arise - ants in the foam. Insects easily organize an anthill there and cause inconvenience to humans.

Why do ants live in insulation?

Expanded polystyrene is an organic product that does not contain harmful substances and has a porous structure. You can build a nest in it and make passages.

On a note!

Some people complain that ants eat penoplex. But thermal insulation material is not the food of workers. They may feed on food scraps and other small insects.

Ants can live in polystyrene foam because it has the following properties:

• it keeps you warm and you can’t freeze inside it even in winter;
• there is air in the insulation - pests can breathe there;
• mold does not grow in the material;
• An optimal level of humidity is maintained inside.

On a note!

Not only little workers love the material. Various beetles, midges, mice and rats chew on penoplex because of its soft texture.

It can be very difficult to get rid of ants in penoplex. Strong poisons and time-tested home recipes do not always help. Therefore, even before insulation, it is worth taking care of prevention.

How to protect insulation

Ants and penoplex can exist together. But arthropods spoil the material, reducing its thermal insulation properties and shortening its service life. There are several ways to protect penoplex from ants:

1. It should be covered with a tin plate or concrete.
2. You should buy rigid slabs without damage.
3. When building a house, it is necessary to make a strip foundation.
4. Treat penoplex with copper sulfate, which can protect the house from ants.
5. The plate can be covered with a layer of paint.

Methods for exterminating insects Ants appear where there is food for them. Therefore, you need to keep the room clean and not leave crumbs and food debris on the floor. Then you won’t have to get rid of various living creatures.

A good preventive measure is an electromagnetic repeller. The device produces waves that can penetrate walls. They create conditions that are uncomfortable for various insects and prevent the appearance of “unwanted guests” in the house.

On a note!

The ant trail can be treated with salt, vinegar or unrefined oil. Arthropods will prefer to leave this place. Or you should find an anthill and destroy it.

If ants are already living in penoplex, then you should contact an exterminator. Specialists from the service will quickly destroy the living creatures. Before treatment, food and clothing should be removed from the room, and furniture should be covered so that no toxic substance gets onto its surface.

To prevent pests from infesting in thermal insulation, you should carefully select the material. It should be dense and even, without damage. Concrete or iron slabs will protect the insulation, and if the protection does not help, then the best solution would be to call exterminators

Varieties of penoplex

After the first tests of the insulation, the results exceeded all expectations. The expert group immediately noted that the future belongs to him. Many useful videos have been made about penoplex, including from professional builders. Almost all videos point to the clear advantages of insulation.

Manufacturers began to expand the range of products with varieties. The composition itself has not changed, while the percentage of components has been adjusted. Penoplex is represented on the market by several brands, depending on the scope of application.

"Wall"

The code name of the insulation is “Penoplex 31”. The material is intended for finishing external and internal walls. The product is characterized by a high content of fire-fighting additives. Most often used to insulate concrete plinths and partitions. “Wall” showed itself especially well when processing plastered facades and well masonry.

"Foundation"

Code name: Penoplex 35. The insulation does not contain fire retardants. The material boasts high strength, which allows the slabs to be used as a base for floors, paths, and in some cases even caissons. Very often, the “Foundation” is used to lay a cement screed.

"Roof"

This is practically the same “Foundation”, but containing fire retardants. The insulation has proven itself to be excellent when covering pitched roofing materials, taking into account the fact that corrugated sheets serve as the base. This type of penoplex can be installed in any attic space. In addition, despite the modest weight of the “Roof”, the insulation easily withstands serious physical stress.

"Comfort"

This is a universal solution codenamed “Penoplex 31C”. The material is suitable for insulating country houses, garden buildings and other places where you can live. “Comfort” is used in almost all construction areas - from the foundation to the roof, thanks to its reinforced composition. But the increased reliability and universal qualities of the material affected its cost: “Penoplex 31C” is one of the most expensive types of insulation.

"Professional"

This is the best this segment has to offer. "Penoplex 45" is used for insulation of highways, railways, heating mains and, less often, runways. In ordinary construction, inversion type roofs are often used for thermal insulation.

Installation technology without frame

We found out what flammability class “Penoplex” has (35, 31, 45, “Geo”), as well as what technical characteristics this material has. But how to properly install slabs of this type? When installing Penoplex, as already mentioned, special glue is used. This product is usually applied to sheets along the perimeter and diagonally. The insulated surface itself is first cleaned of dirt and dust.

The slabs are glued in a checkerboard pattern. Sometimes Penoplex is installed on facades in two layers. This technology is usually used in cold regions. When installing the slabs of the top layer when using it, make sure that they overlap the joints of the bottom one.

After the surface is completely finished with slabs, they begin to putty the joints. For this purpose, a special type of sealant is used. Next, a special reinforcing mesh is mounted on the polystyrene foam surface. Then, plaster is applied on top of it. At the final stage, the walls are painted.

Which insulation materials are not a barrier for mice and rats

We've become familiar with sustainable materials, but what insulation materials should we not use in our home? There are many of these, mice feel very comfortable in them. Rodents easily gnaw holes and set up nests, although they rarely eat insulation. The worst material for insulating a house is polystyrene foam. Thorough treatment of the insulation with boric acid or copper sulfate will help against pests.

Types of mineral wool: glass, stone (basalt)

Mineral wool has high heat-insulating properties; it is obtained by processing slag and some rocks with additional impurities. One of the varieties of mineral wool is glass wool, which was widely used as insulation in Soviet times. It is elastic, durable, breathable, frost-resistant, and fireproof. Fungus and mold will never appear in it, but mice often appear. Rodents do not eat glass wool, because it is very prickly, but they easily make long passages in it and build nests.

Today, glass wool has been replaced by stronger and safer basalt (stone) wool. It is made from the remains of rocks by rapid melting. Its soft fibrous structure, thermal conductivity and environmental friendliness make it a favorite habitat for rodents. They settle inside the material, which leads to a decrease in the quality of thermal insulation of the house. No mineral wool is suitable for insulating residential premises.

Polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam

Foam plastic attracts rodents with its texture and smell; in a short time they can turn up to 80% of the insulation into dust. Mice not only settle in it, but also store food reserves inside, which makes a person’s stay in the room unbearable. Polystyrene foam is very easy to install and is inexpensive, but before use it must be properly prepared. Foam boards can be covered with fine-mesh metal mesh, but this is too expensive. Experienced builders advise dousing them with liquid concrete solution, which prevents the appearance of rodents.

Instead of polystyrene foam, you can use polystyrene foam, which is more resistant to mouse teeth. It is made from the same raw materials as polystyrene foam, but using more modern technologies. Special fire-retardant substances are added to it at high temperatures, enriched with carbon dioxide and extruded. The resulting mass hardens and is cut into slabs of the required size. Expanded polystyrene has a higher density, lightness and ease of installation. It has excellent thermal insulation, resistance to moisture and frost, but the thicker the slab, the more readily rodents breed in it.

Polyurethane foam

Unfortunately, the answer to the question of whether mice chew polyurethane foam can be answered in the affirmative. They not only grind down their growing teeth on it, but also grind the foam into fine dust, which they use to build nests. Inexperienced owners of private houses are trying to seal holes made by mice and rats with polyurethane foam. This empty exercise will lead to nothing, because it will not be an obstacle for rodents.

Foam rubber, roofing felt and other materials

Unlike foam rubber and polyurethane foam, mice cannot chew through roofing felt and slate, because they are dense and hard. The only disadvantage of using roofing felt is its ability to absorb odors. The shortcoming can be eliminated using a film stretched over a roofing felt sheet. Instead, roofing felt is often used, the smell of which is unpleasant to rodents. It is better not to use foam rubber as insulation at all, just like chipboard, because these materials are defenseless against the teeth of rats and mice.

The choice of insulating material begins at the stage of laying the foundation

First of all, pay attention to its thermal conductivity properties, durability, and noise protection. Environmental friendliness, fire safety and breathability are considered important

From this point of view, expanded clay is an ideal insulation material. There are cases where rats have damaged aluminum and lead pipes, and it is not difficult for them to chew through most popular insulation materials.

Detailed instructions for those who want to insulate themselves

The process of insulating the facade of a building using extruded polystyrene foam is quite simple. If all installation rules are followed, you can insulate the walls on your own in the shortest possible time.

Preparatory work and necessary tools

To ensure strong adhesion of the material to the surface, it is necessary to carry out high-quality preparation. This work includes not only processing the wall itself, but also protruding elements (window sills, ebbs, etc.). Preparatory work includes:

1. Facade cleaning. At the same time, a layer of old finishing material is removed, as well as various contaminants: dirt, stains, dust, etc.
2. Elimination of harmful microorganisms (mold, mildew, etc.) from the surface. For this purpose, antiseptic agents are used.
3. Processing of metal objects existing on the facade. Produced with an anti-corrosion compound.
4. Checking the evenness of the wall. Only small deviations are acceptable; unevenness exceeding 2 cm per 3 m2 requires leveling.
5. Prime the prepared surface to ensure maximum adhesion.

In situations that require leveling the wall surface, perform the following steps:

1. Plastering. Allows you to achieve perfect smoothness. The layer of plaster does not have a negative impact on the properties of penoplex.
2. Use of insulation boards of various thicknesses. Used in case of large differences. A thinner insulation is placed on the protruding surface. However, it should be noted that the level of thermal insulation in such areas will be lower.
3. Installation of special gaskets for alignment. Such a procedure cannot be called simple; its implementation requires the appropriate skills.

For work related to wall insulation, you will need the following tools:

• tape measure and steel square;
• aluminum rule and level (2 m or more);
• masking tape;
• steel brush, hacksaw and hammer-pick;
• drill and construction mixer;
• metal scissors and construction knife;
• hammer drill and screwdriver with attachments;
• stainless steel grater and set of spatulas;
• sanding block;
• rollers, brushes, trowel.

Methods

To insulate the facade with penoplex, several mounting options are used:

• sheets of extruded polystyrene foam are fixed with mastic or glue;
• special polyurethane foam is used;
• the material is secured with dowels.

Each method has its own characteristics. Professionals often use several methods simultaneously, which ensures reliable fixation of the slabs. For example, glue is used first, and then dowels are used. However, if you comply with all the requirements during the application of each method, the strength of the material will be guaranteed, capable of withstanding an additional layer of finishing, which will eliminate the need for additional fixation.

Description of technology

Installation of penoplex on facade walls includes several stages:

1. Fastening the base profile. Required as a support for slabs. The thickness of these two elements must match each other.
2. Preparing the adhesive base. Prepare according to instructions.
3. Sheathing with slabs. The adhesive composition is applied not only in their center, but also along the edges of the material. Work begins from the lower section of the building. For cladding door and window openings, only solid sheets are used.
4. Fastening the slabs using metal or plastic dowels. This happens 2-3 days after the glue has completely dried.
5. Processing of joints. They are filled with polyurethane foam or insulation.
6. Performing reinforcement. For this, reinforcing mesh is used.
7. Carrying out finishing work. Usually decorative facade plaster.

What ants can be found in residential buildings?

There are two types of domestic ants in Russia:

• pharaonic or red - these insects are very small; their body length is only 2 mm. They are not adapted to living in the wild in a temperate climate and therefore, when the opportunity arises, they try to settle in a human dwelling;
• thief ants - unlike the previous species, they can easily live outdoors, and hunger can force them to come into your house. They come in small groups and most often appear in dachas; You can meet them on the ground floor or in the basement. In multi-story buildings, they almost never rise above the second floor - the female finds a secluded place in the room and establishes a nest there, from which working individuals subsequently run out into the apartment from time to time.

Representatives of both species have a yellow or sometimes orange body color and are the most frequent guests of residential apartments. If you live in a private house, you may also encounter black ants. But they are not domestic; they enter the house only in search of food and, as a rule, leave on their own after a while. Unlike house ants, black ants do not set up nests in a person’s home, but only “walk” through all rooms in search of a source of saturation.

In old wooden houses located in a forest belt, you can sometimes find red ants. They are also not domestic and parasitize only on the joints of logs. In addition, their appearance is isolated cases.

Reasons for appearance

So, we have decided on the types of domestic ants, now let's find out the reasons for their appearance.

It should be said right away about thief ants. These insects enter human homes for one simple reason - the absence of nearby anthills of other species, where they usually get their food in the wild.

As for the pharaohs, there will be several reasons:

• the anthill is located in the next room;
• you rarely do deep cleaning in your apartment;
• the owners themselves brought the pests into their home;
• ants flee and seek refuge in your apartment.

Infestation of the neighboring premises

If your neighbors have a nest of ants, then expect that they will soon come to you. As the population grows, insects will begin to look for a place to create daughter anthills, and if your apartment is located in close proximity to the original source, then it risks being at the top of the list for arranging a new home.

In addition, the neighboring apartment will not necessarily be a breeding ground for ants. These insects love damp places and can come from a damp basement, of course, if your house has one. Having a garbage disposal can also cause ants to appear in your apartment.

And it is possible that on the ground floor of your house there is a restaurant, cafe or other catering establishment. After all, ants, like cockroaches, are located where not only a source of water is located, but also an abundance of food.

Poor sanitary conditions

Often ants come to those houses where there is a constant and inexhaustible source of food. And if you rarely carry out general cleaning, and have never disinfected places where food waste usually accumulates, then your apartment is a paradise for ants.

First, a scout will come to visit you, who will definitely see that you have something to profit from and rest assured - after a while he will return not alone. And after a week or two, a nest will be organized.

But preventing such developments is quite simple:

• Regularly clean where trash cans are located;
• check the serviceability of the plumbing fixtures and always close the taps tightly at night, and it is advisable to wipe the sink dry;
• if you suspect that ants have taken a fancy to your apartment, look for their nest near sinks, leaking pipes, under baseboards, in cracks in kitchen walls;
• do not leave open food on the table;
• If you managed to trace along which “paths” the scout ants move, then these paths must be treated with a special insecticide or a reliable folk remedy, in other words, you should erase the trail that helps the parasites find their way to food.

You brought the ants yourself

This situation happens quite often, but not always this oversight on your part can bring unpleasant consequences. The fact is that ants are very organized and are always attached to their nest. Even if one of them ends up on your clothes and then in your house, it will immediately look for its way “home,” since ants are pests that purposefully look for new nesting places and they do not need help with this.

And it’s a completely different matter if you are “lucky enough” to bring a queen ant into your home. She will certainly organize a new nest and, as a result, the ant population will soon become quite numerous: some individuals will follow the queen, the rest will hatch from eggs.

Sometimes, the owners of cozy apartments manage to bring a whole nest. This happens when moving, when an anthill “moves” to a new place of residence along with furniture, food and household appliances.

Ants are looking for shelter in you

And the last reason is the persecution of insects in neighboring rooms. In this case, the parasites’ self-preservation instinct simply kicks in, and they try to escape from danger as quickly as possible.

In this case, we can advise you to pay attention to preventive measures that will prevent ants from organizing a nest:

• seal the pipe joints and the places where they enter the wall;
• regularly carry out wet cleaning in all rooms without exception;
• it is advisable to spread repellent plants or use other repellents;
• Always remove leftover food from the table;
• After eating, wash the dishes immediately;
• Take out the trash every day, especially if there is food waste in the bin.

And periodic communication with neighbors will be useful. In case of complaints from them about the appearance of ants, you can be “fully armed” when insects come to set up their nest in your place.

The ability of various types of thermal insulation to resist ants

In North America and Europe, various species of ants are a source of concern for single-family home owners as pests that cause enormous economic harm. This problem is relevant for residents of certain regions of Russia and the countries of central Central Asia.

For example, carpenter ants have strong jaws and build nests in partially destroyed tree trunks or stumps, as well as in growing trees and heavily dried wood. In conditions where ants make their way into constructed buildings, the need to build nests leads to a confrontation between ants and humans. If there are ants in houses, people experience discomfort; in addition, ants can destroy load-bearing wooden structures from the inside or reduce the thickness of the thermal insulation layer.

Therefore, research was carried out at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health to examine the ability of different types of thermal insulation to resist ant attack.

Three experiments conducted by Norwegian scientists used a total of 2,250 worker carpenter ants and 120 larvae. The experiments compared materials such as:

• expanded polystyrene (EPS);
• extruded polystyrene foam (XPS);
• foam glass FOAMGLAS.

During the experiment the following were determined:

• time from the settlement of ants in containers with insulation samples to the start of destructive activity;
• the degree of destruction of samples of thermal insulation materials 5 days after the start of ant activity;
• the influence of the temperature of samples of thermal insulation materials on the activity of ants.

Based on the results of experiments, it was found that expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) are not able to resist the penetration of ants. It turned out that in the above-mentioned thermal insulation materials, ants are able to dig out passages and corridors, as well as make full-fledged nests. During the experiment, it was possible to establish that the ants caused more damage to slightly heated EPS and XPS samples.

Unlike EPS and XPS, FOAMGLAS foam glass samples were able to withstand the effects of ants and did not experience any destruction, regardless of their own temperature

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What rodents don't like

But really, what kind of insulation is not chewed by mice?

In first place, perhaps, we can put expanded clay - clay, processed in a special way, formed into granules of different sizes. Rodents do not like it as a place to build a home, especially if a small fraction is used. The fact is that when moving on an unsteady surface, mice fall into it, and besides, a long stay in dusty expanded clay clogs the animals’ airways and they become unable to breathe.

In second place is foam glass - it is made by steaming and foaming glass. When hardened, such material becomes too hard and does not lend itself to mouse teeth.

Foam concrete is another material that is an excellent barrier for the gray army of rodents. The solid mixture of sand, cement, water and foaming agent has a hard and porous structure, which makes it difficult for mice to gnaw passages.

What to do with ants

The tunnels made in penoplex by rodents clearly answer the question of whether mice chew penoplex. But another problem that will have to be solved is the ants. These insects have determined that penoplex can be an excellent place for colonization. Due to its environmental friendliness, it does not interfere with their reproduction. Expanded polystyrene perfectly retains heat inside the sheet, and this is one of the main requirements for ants’ housing. They will feel comfortable inside even at sub-zero temperatures. The porous structure ensures the presence of air. Penoplex does not support the growth of mold, which could harm the colony, which is another factor in favor of the ants.

Note! Ants reduce the density of insulation, which increases thermal conductivity, and therefore increases the outflow of heat from the house.

To protect penoplex from ants, you can cover the insulation with tin sheets or concrete. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the condition of the insulation sheets. If there is damage in them, then there is a high probability that ants will settle in them. A good strip foundation will be a barrier for both ants and rodents. An aqueous solution of copper sulfate, which is applied to the insulation, can serve as a protective layer. You can watch a video of how they set up their habitat there below.

Study

The answer to the question about thermal insulators that repel rodents is impossible without market research. In total, it contains two types of heat insulators - organic and artificial.

Organic insulators are made from recycled or natural materials. They contain a minimum of chemical additives - only substances that resist fire. The main examples are ecowool, reed, straw, etc.

There are many more inorganic or artificial heat insulators. And if natural ones are produced, as a rule, in bulk or in slabs, then this category has more formats: slab mineral or basalt wool and loose perlite. You can opt for solid aerated concrete. Next we will talk about reliability indicators in relation to rodents.

What to do if the foam is already damaged

Pests often damage wall cladding. The owners notice this when they need to change it. What do enterprising people do in this case? – Replace damaged polystyrene foam boards with new ones. To prevent pests from entering the premises again, the necessary measures are taken.

When installing the base profile, there is no need to dismantle the slabs. Through a layer of reinforcing mesh, a rat cannot grab onto polystyrene or penoplex with its teeth. This material is extruded polystyrene. But this does not stop gray mammals. They can also damage the untreated extruded composition, like regular polystyrene. Only the metal mesh must have small holes, otherwise the animal will crawl through them. Effectively used to cover polystyrene foam, aluminum mesh.

Dimensions

The thickness of this material may vary. Penoplex is on sale today from 20 to 100 mm. 20 mm material is usually used for insulating partitions indoors. The thickest “Penoplex” can be used for cladding facades, floors, and in some cases walls. The width of the slabs of this material is always 600 mm. The length of the sheets can be 1200 mm or 2400 mm.

When purchasing such slabs, among other things, you should pay attention to their integrity. "Penoplex" - the material, of course, is not as fragile as polystyrene foam

However, sometimes such slabs can break. It is for this reason that experts advise always purchasing this material with a reserve of at least 5-10%.

Ways to fight ants

If pests have already settled in the insulation, then the best way to get rid of them is to dismantle the infected slabs and treat the untouched material with insecticidal agents. The ideal option is to invite specialists, but their services will cost a significant amount. Therefore, it is worth adopting the most effective folk and industrial methods of fighting ants.

Folk remedies

In this case, you will have to be patient, although not for long: you cannot count on an instant effect. In addition, traditional methods are best used in combination to achieve real results. Let's look at the most popular means.

Boric acid

The composition corrodes the chitinous cover, causing paralysis and death of the pest. In addition to boric acid, you will need a hard-boiled egg - yolk, as well as any sweet ingredient: pure sugar, syrup, honey, etc.

When working with any acids, you must use protection: chemical gloves with a respirator. Otherwise, there is a risk of skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Bait recipe:

1. Grind the egg yolk with the sweet ingredient.
2. Add about 20 g of boric acid to the resulting mass.
3. Roll the balls and place them in places where ants gather.

There is no need to rub the foam with bait or try to lay it as close as possible to the insulation. The foragers themselves will transfer the poison to the anthill, where other individuals will taste it.

Yeast

Another time-tested recipe. Classic nutritional yeast is suitable for preparing the mixture. You can use syrup or honey as an additional ingredient. Take 4-5 tablespoons of sweets and mix with 1 spoon of yeast until a homogeneous mass is formed.

Just as in the case of boric acid, there is no need to treat the insulation itself: we spread the mixture to hot spots, and the ants themselves will spread the poison. If the yeast enters the body, after some time it will simply tear the pest apart.

Industrial products

In difficult cases, it is better to look towards serious chemistry. Although it is more expensive, it is much more effective than traditional methods. In addition, the result will not take long to arrive. Aggressive chemistry begins to act within the first hours after application. On sale you can find drugs made in different formats: gels, powders or traps.

It is more practical to use industrial products at the time of installation of insulation. Chemicals with a pronounced prolonged effect will not leave pests a chance.

Gels

Judging by the responses of consumers, the most effective drugs can be called “Absolute” and “Great Warrior”. They also give good reviews about the Clean House gels. It is enough to treat the slab with the product and mount it in place.

The poison contained in the composition does not act immediately. Upon returning to the colony, foragers infect other individuals. You can also use gels after the fact: apply them to baseboards, doorways and other trouble spots.

Powders

“Muravi” and “Karbofos” are quite suitable for processing penoplex. Delicia powder also showed good effectiveness. Before use, they must be diluted with water according to the instructions indicated on the product packaging. Then apply it to insulating boards.

In all these preparations, the active substance is a dangerous insecticide - chlorpyrifors. It causes paralysis of the pest and its subsequent death.

Lures

This format is used only after the appearance of ants, when the colony has begun to grow. The active substances included in the baits have a long-lasting effect. After contact with the poison, the pest spreads it throughout the colony. They must be placed with an eye on the foragers' paths.

Among other baits, consumers respond especially warmly to “Combat”, “Absolute” and “Great Warrior”. A clear advantage of insecticides of this format is that you set it and forget it. Lures do not need to be updated as often as gels or powders.

Content

• TOP 20 “folk remedies” for ants
• 1. Medicinal chamomile
• 2. Sweet trap
• 3. Baits with boric acid
• 4. Yeast from ants
• 5. Garlic
• 6. Essential oils (mint, eucalyptus, citrus, etc.)
• 7. Anise seeds, laurel and valerian extracts
• 8. Glue traps
• 9. Red pepper, mustard powder
• 10. Moving the anthill
• 11. Boiling water (boiling water)
• 12. Growing plants that repel ants
• 13. Fight against aphids
• 14. Smoked meats
• 15. Semolina and other cereals
• 16. Tobacco and shag dust
• 17. Kerosene, diesel fuel, carbolic acid against ants
• 18. Water obstacles
• 19. Salt
• 20. Lime from ants
• As recommendations

Every gardener and gardener has in his or her arsenal proven “folk remedies” for fighting ants and other insect pests. This unique knowledge is passed down from generation to generation, remaining relevant to this day.

How to treat penoplex?

To protect the insulation from ants and rodents, you can treat the surface of the penoplex with copper or iron sulfate or borax solution. It’s just a pity that such labor-intensive work will not bring 100% results. Under the influence of the sun and water, the impregnation will quickly wash off, and along with it, the seemingly reliable protection of the insulation will disappear.

Some experts advise painting or covering foam boards with glue. It will be more difficult for mice to move along slippery walls, and it will be more difficult to chew through a layer of paint than unprotected material. In addition, the smell of paint and glue will repel pests.

If none of the above methods helps, you need to take drastic measures - remove the destroyed thermal insulation material and re-insulate the house using materials that are resistant to the sharp teeth of rodents: foam glass, foam concrete, ecowool.

And even though mice do not eat penoplex, they cause enormous damage to the home by making numerous tunnels, destroying insulation and deteriorating thermal insulation. Reinforcement with mesh, treatment with insecticides and storing products in a place inaccessible to pests will help protect polystyrene foam from rodents.

Do mice live in penoplex and how to protect walls from rodents?

Penoplex is a modern material with unique thermal insulation properties, which is ideally suited for insulating foundations, walls and ceilings and is in great demand among buyers. Therefore, when choosing insulation for a summer house or country house, many people have a logical question: do mice eat penoplex? The author of the VredStop website found the answer: rodents do not eat insulation, but, trying to get into the room, they make passages in it and destroy the structure of the material. This reduces its thermal insulation properties.

For starters, some information from the section on market economics

Dear friends, do you think I have described all the wonderful characteristics of such wonderful materials? No! I left one property for a snack. But in fact, this property is perhaps the main one.

Both polystyrene and penoplex are phenomenally cheap to produce

. That is why in any box with a TV, or with a computer, or even with furniture, this polystyrene foam is simply missing.

Sellers of building materials especially like this property, since this material allows them to put into practice the basic principle of business - buy low and sell high!

Additional materials

• Articles about expanded polystyrene
• List of reader questions related to polystyrene foam in one way or another
• Classification of existing thermal insulation materials
• materials on wall insulation

Thank you for your attention. Your author is Dmitry Belkin. All pictures taken from Wikipedia

Their use here is permitted by the author

All pictures are taken from Wikipedia. Their use here is permitted by the author.

Article created 01/09/2012

Article edited 09/05/2013

Why do mice like to live in penoplex?

Penoplex (extruded polystyrene foam) is a finely porous material with numerous air-filled cells. The insulation is inexpensive, but at the same time it is durable, has a low level of thermal conductivity, moisture resistance and resistance to fungal infections. It is also important that polystyrene boards do not swell or warp when painted, treated with glue or plastered. If the basic rules are followed when installing thermal insulation and the insulation is protected from rodents, it can last fifty years or more.

Mice appear in the house in the fall, with the onset of the first cold weather, when there is nothing left to profit from in the fields. This is the time to think about creating a warm mink and accessible food. Penetrating through cracks, holes, and ventilation holes in a person’s home, the animals easily gnaw through pliable polystyrene.

As you know, rodents do not eat synthetic insulation, but feed on food products and waste. Polystyrene slabs are just an obstacle on the way to the desired food, which can always be found in a summer house closed for the winter, in a trash can or in the kitchen of a careless housewife. By gnawing labyrinths in the insulation, mice thereby destroy the structure and reduce the functionality of the material, literally turning it into dust. In this case, the damage can be more than 80%.

Mice, unlike rats, move in groups and live in families. If one individual appears in the house, a dozen more will come running after it. Therefore, if you hear a characteristic crunch or squeak, you must immediately take action.

Physical properties

Speaking about the physical properties of this material for the purpose of insulating private houses, cottages and even a swimming pool, it is worth mentioning the positive qualities, they are also disadvantages, but the need to purchase this type of insulation remains with the buyer.

One of the main properties is a high level of heat, which allows you to warm large buildings. The softness of the surface is also a positive property, because you are able to use it in cases of facade, roofing and in different weather conditions, but the structure is an easy target for rodents and birds, especially if you live in a country house near a forest area or in the very forest.

The following properties are exclusively negative - the easy flammability and combustibility of the material itself, which is literally firewood made of foam plastic, although additional chemical additives are added to many types, they do not reduce the risk of burning the material to a low level. Perhaps we will finish with these physical properties.

expanded polystyrene knauf

Preventive actions

You won’t have to fight insects if you know how to protect insulation from ants.

1. Ants will not damage organic insulation if it is protected by concrete.
2. The absence of seams in the thermal insulation coating will prevent it from being damaged by insects.
3. When installing flooring in a house, it is necessary to use bulk materials.

Do not forget that house ants do not eat insulation; they are forced to attack a person’s house by searching for food and the cold. Therefore, regular cleaning of your home will help prevent insects from entering.

How do insects find their way into your kitchen?

Secondly, it is important to understand how these insects behave in order to more successfully combat them. Ants communicate with each other using touch, sound, and pheromones, a kind of chemical marks that they leave along the way, making up a kind of trail.

Foragers - the goosebumps that search for food - also leave a trail of pheromones behind them, creating a trail between the colony and the food they find. Other insects follow this path in search of food. They perceive such chemical marks using smell, the receptors of which are located on the antennae. Deceiving nasal receptors and destroying their pathways is the key to successful victory over this type of insect. Believe me, this will be much more useful than running after each individual ant and spraying dichlorvos on it.