Insulation isn’t just an energy-saving upgrade – it can also keep pests out of your home! Unlike fiberglass batt insulation, which allows rodents to move around and creates ideal nesting spots, pest control insulation is designed to be virtually airtight.
Its cotton-like fibers are infused with borate particles that are distributed throughout the insulation. When insects chew through it, they ingest the borate and die.
Cellulose Insulation
Cellulose insulation is a type of safe and effective pest control insulation. It repels cockroaches, beetles, earwigs, silverfish and termites. It can also prevent them from contaminating your home’s air and can make it more difficult for them to find their way inside your walls, ceiling or attic. In addition, it has a high R-value and can help to reduce energy costs.
It is primarily made from recycled paper, usually post-consumer waste newsprint, and it contains 75% to 85% recycled content. It is then treated with boric acid (or boron) to ensure its fire safety and to increase its insulating properties. This makes it a great alternative to fiberglass insulation.
Borate-treated cellulose insulation is a non-toxic material that has pest-repelling capabilities. It kills self-grooming insects such as cockroaches, beetles and earwigs by blocking their breathing. Its effectiveness is dependent on both dosage and presentation, however, so proper testing must be conducted before a product can be labeled as having pesticidal properties.
Cellulose insulation is available in loose-fill and dense pack formats and is installed using a blowing machine. It has a lower carbon footprint than other types of insulation because it is made with recycled materials and uses less fossil fuel in production. The borate treatment helps it to achieve a Class I fire rating. It can protect a building better than fiberglass because it is denser and restricts oxygen to the fire.
Loose Fill Fiberglass
Fiberglass is one of the most popular insulation materials, and for good reason. It’s an excellent insulator that conserves energy and helps reduce utility bills. Fiberglass batts and loose-fill fiberglass are available in a variety of R-values to meet homeowners’ needs.
Loose-fill fiberglass can be blown into wall cavities using special equipment and has an R-value of between 3 and 4. This type of insulation is less dense than cellulose or mineral wool. Consequently, it tends to settle more than other types of insulation. However, if it’s installed at the proper density, settling shouldn’t be a significant problem.
In general, conventional fiberglass insulation doesn’t offer the pest control benefits that cellulose or mineral wool can provide. While some products exist that include antifungal and pesticidal agents on the backing paper of traditional fiberglass batts, these do little to prevent insects and rodents from nesting or chewing their way into homes.
Stabilized cellulose, which is made principally from recycled paper, offers homeowners a triple benefit: superior thermal and acoustical performance, a pest deterrent, and pest control. This product is made by combining ground-up paper with borate crystals that are infused into the insulation through a proprietary process. The borate binds to the paper fibers, making it more difficult for pests to chew their way through the insulation and kill themselves by ingesting the crystals.
Spray Foam
Spray foam insulation is a popular choice for attics and crawl spaces. This type of insulation creates an air barrier that is highly effective at reducing energy losses and keeping temperatures comfortable. It also works well for pest control, as it deters rodents and other unwelcome critters from entering homes.
Rodents are common intruders that can destroy home comfort and cause structural damage. While blown-in fiberglass or cellulose can be an ideal nesting material for mice and rats, spray foam does not attract these critters and can keep them out of the attic space. Its dense nature also makes it difficult to tunnel through and create a nest.
Closed cell spray foam also provides a layer of added support that can help strengthen a building structure. While it will not hold up the roof or other structures on its own, it can improve the strength of a structure and make it more resistant to weather-related damages.
As far as termites are concerned, spray foam insulation is very helpful for pest control. Its dense structure prevents these pests from easily chewing through it, and the closed-cell foam becomes a vapor barrier at 1.5 inches thick. This can make it much more difficult for termites to gain access to a home or commercial structure. While insulating with spray foam will not solve a pest problem that is already occurring, it can prevent future infestations and reduce the need for expensive pest control treatments.
Spray Polyurethane Foam
The spray-applied insulating foam can be used in a variety of areas, including rim joists, roof wall junctures and around pipes and ducts. It can also be used to fill and seal cracks, voids and penetrations in walls and attic floors. It is a popular choice for new home insulation, as it prevents unwanted air infiltration and reduces energy costs.
The closed-cell structure of the polyurethane foam blocks air movement and helps to control moisture vapor movement. This helps to eliminate the need for a separate vapor retarder, which is often required with other insulation products. The product is sprayed on a surface and quickly expands and cures to create a monolithic, seamless insulating membrane.
Unlike other types of insulation, spray polyurethane foam is applied quickly and efficiently with a specialized machine by a team of professional experts. Its fast application time leads to lower overall heating and cooling costs, and its high thermal insulation values help reduce electricity and fuel usage.
The insulated spaces created by this spray polyurethane foam can also serve as pest deterrents by closing and sealing nooks and crannies where rodents can access the home. This insulation can also be applied to the attic and crawl space of older homes as a way to deter pests from invading and increasing energy efficiency.