Ant problem or structural problem?

6 years ago

I had a new roof put on my c. 1850 farmhouse last year. The roofer discovered that three layers of shingles had been put on the house without any plywood underneath. There were some issues during and after the roof job, including a leak into the attic that he fixed twice with tar and then said there was nothing more he could do. (He's a local guy, and I regret my decision to hire him.)

Anyway, I was up in the attic the other day and noticed some fine brown particles in several places. It was obvious they came from the peak of the "ceiling." The attic ceiling consists of angled beams with insulation batts between them and plywood sheets covering the insulation. My photos show a space at the peak where the plywood sheets don't quite meet. Visible in that space were some small dark ants.

The brown particles looked to me like debris from rotting wood. My house is built of hemlock. The ants look like the ones that show up in my bathrooms every spring. I assume they're moisture-seeking, so I'm worried that I may have wet wood under the new roof. I can't think why else ants would be hanging out in the insulation. It's possible the new roof leaks, but it's also possible the roofer put the new roof down on wood that was wet. I don't know if it'll have a chance to dry under these conditions.

I guess I'll have to contact a company with a good reputation and have them take a look at it, but if anyone has any thoughts on this, I'd appreciate the added information. I'm feeling clueless, and dreading another big expense. Thanks!

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Comments (5)

krissie55
6 years ago
It is most likely "carpenter ants" and they will destroy the wood. Look for a nest in the area you found the ants. Boric acid will kill ants.
Alisande thanked krissie55
kudzu9
6 years ago
It’s very hard to tell what kind of ants those are based on the photo. However, I’m going to hazard a guess that they are moisture ants rather than the much larger carpenter ants. The debris looks more like what you would get from a moisture ant. A carpenter and will leave piles of sawdust, and while they do their damage inside the nest is typically someplace outside. In any case, you need to deal with stopping the moisture problem as well as killing the ants.

Carpenter ants can do a huge amount of damage before you realize it by hollowing out structural timbers, and moisture ants can help turn wood beams into mush.

Here is some more info: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.classicinsulation.com/pest-control/how-to-get-rid-of-ants/how-to-get-rid-of-moisture-ants/amp/

Also, Google images of “carpenter ants”: they are large and have distinctive, striped abdomens, so are easy to differentiate from other types of ants.
Alisande thanked kudzu9
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krissie55
6 years ago
We had carpenter ants make a nest inside the wall of a bedroom upstairs a few months ago. Cost a fortune to have an exterminator and he used boric acid.
Alisande thanked krissie55
Olychick
6 years ago
If you have any worries the roof wasn't constructed correctly (did he apply that plywood and if so, why is it such a ragged edge?), was the area vented correctly? Since you had problems and he cannot ensure he fixed it correctly, you may need to see an attorney about getting your money back and hiring someone to fix it. At least get some other contractors out there and see what they say about the job he did so you'll know if there's a problem or not.
Alisande thanked Olychick
Alisande
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks, everyone. Yes, these ants look much too small to be carpenter ants. Moisture ants would make sense.

The plywood in the photo is in the interior of the attic. The roofer applied plywood to the exterior of the house, under the roofing materials. I don't know about venting or what should have been done.

I sued a roofer years ago in small claims court. I knew I wouldn't get any money because he was in jail, but I did it anyway and had the satisfaction of ruining his credit for 5 years. (There was more involved than a lousy roofing job.) The current roofer isn't in jail, but I suspect I wouldn't get any money from him either, simply because it's unlikely he has any. I thought I was doing a good deed by hiring him. As I said, I regret that decision.

Although I dread shelling out for an exterminator, it wouldn't be a good idea for me to attempt the job myself Right now I'm seeking two reliable people: exterminator and roofer.

Thanks again for your help.