Insect Invasions
An ant infestation may be the cause of your driveway gate motor or safety beams having gone on the fritz. Take a look under the covers!
Ants are the biggest culprit when it comes to invading outdoor electronics. Ants nest in soil, in wood and are also opportunistic nesters. Your outdoor home electronics such as gate motors and swimming pool motors may very well become a choice of shelter for soil ants and opportunistic nesters.
Opportunistic nester ants will build an ant nest anywhere that provides shelter, water and access to food. Soil nesters live in shallow, underground tunnels. During heavy rainstorms these nests flood, forcing the ants to search for higher dry ground like your gate motor or safety beams covers.
There is also a theory that ants are attracted by the electromagnetic fields in switches hence their attraction to them. It also appears that termites may enjoy chewing on the plastic insulation of electrical wiring equally as wood.
Once the ants invade, they leave a scent trail that allows them to return to the nest and establish a colony where ant food, eggs and larvae are housed. These colonies can begin to cause havoc with your electronics making them short circuit, preventing them from turning on and leading to repairs. Often the switches inside them need to be replaced.
When the ants enter the electronic parts connections are created with their bodies and the electrics, causing circuits to short out and electrocute the ants. A pheromone, a scent ants use to communicate that they are “under attack”, is then released. This attracts more ants to the colony compounding the ant infestation problem.
Other insects that can cause disruption to your outdoor electronics include wasps. Wasps like locations that are left undisturbed like your covers and motors. Treat the wasp nest at night when all the workers and queen are present. They are also less aggressive at night.
Cockroaches are the next suspects. They search for warm and dark spaces, such as your gate motor cover, to lay eggs. Their excrement can corrode circuit boards and short out electronic components.
How to get rid of ants and how to get rid of cockroaches:
In order to rid your outside electrical components of a cockroach or ant infestation try blowing those pesky invaders out of all the nooks and crannies first. To avoid damage to your circuit board rather use an insect bait such as ant traps, as opposed to an insecticide spray for ant and cockroach control.
