ANTS CAUSE PROBLEMS IN ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

When ants attack electrical equipment it can be very costly. Ants cause problems in electrical equipment. Ants seem to be very attracted to electric sources. Fire ant damages to electrical and communications equipment, in Texas alone, totaled $146.5 million per year (according to research done at Texas A&M).

Ants Infest Many Types of Equipment

The types of electrical equipment that are commonly affected are transformer boxes, telephone boxes, circuit breakers, air conditioners, electric pumps, and switch boxes.

 Problems Ants Cause

When ants start gathering in electrical equipment, they bring soil in with them. The problem this creates is moisture build-up and corrosion of the housings which frequently causes transformer units to malfunction. Ants can also chew through coatings protecting wires causing short circuits.

How to Prevent Ants

Seal all sensitive electrical components, especially those that are not insulated. Some examples of these are plastic housings containing contact points of switches, relays and circuit breakers. You could also apply a long-residual contact insecticide around housings, being very careful to avoid the electrical circuitry or components. There are specific products available labeled for this type of problem, you can apply these to the housing itself or to the mounting pad.