I was very pleased with our pest service today. We were having an issue with ants in a couple areas. With the treatment and stop back by Mike as well as some suggestions on sealing them out, so far so good.
Impact Pest Control Cellulose Insulation Services
Cellulose insulation is one of the most effective, environmentally friendly insulation solutions available today — and Impact Pest Control can install it for you. Fill out the form to get a fast, free quote and find out whether cellulose insulation is right for your home.
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Protect Your Home From the Inside Out with Cellulose Insulation
Most homeowners think about pest control and insulation as two separate problems. At Impact Pest Control, we treat them as one. Your attic is one of the most vulnerable areas in your home — it's where pests nest, breed, and cause damage, often for months before you ever notice. Our cellulose insulation service addresses both issues at once: we remove compromised material, treat the space, and install insulation that actively works against pest activity long after we leave.
What Is Cellulose Insulation?
Cellulose insulation is a type of insulation made from recycled paper products — primarily shredded newspaper and cardboard — treated with fire-retardants and pest-deterring compounds. It is installed as a loose fill, meaning it is blown into attic spaces and wall cavities using specialized equipment. This allows it to conform to the exact shape of the space, filling every gap and crevice that other insulation materials might leave open.
As one of the most environmentally friendly insulation materials available, cellulose uses up to 85% recycled materials and requires significantly less energy to produce than fiberglass insulation or foam alternatives. It meets current building codes, delivers strong thermal performance, and — when installed by a pest control company like Impact Pest Control — serves as a frontline defense against insects and rodents that commonly invade attics.
The Pest Control Power of Cellulose Insulation
Not all insulation materials are created equal when it comes to pest deterrence. Cellulose blown-in insulation has several properties that make it particularly effective at discouraging pest activity — and that's by design.
Boric Acid Treatment
Manufacturers treat cellulose with high concentrations of borates, including boric acid, as part of the standard production process. This treatment makes cellulose insulation a passive, long-term line of defense that continues working without any additional intervention.
Inhibits Insect Infestation
The borate treatment specifically deters common household pests, including ants, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, and beetles that often go undetected in attics and wall cavities for extended periods, causing structural damage and spreading to other areas of the home.
Physical Barrier Against Pests
Blown-in cellulose insulation fills small crevices and voids throughout your attic floor and wall cavities, creating a dense, tightly packed layer. This physical density makes it significantly harder for insects and small pests to navigate through the insulation or establish colonies within it.
Rodent Deterrent
Cellulose significantly reduces the conditions that make attics appealing nesting sites for rodents. Mice and squirrels can't burrow through densely packed cellulose insulation as easily as they can through soft fiberglass insulation, making it difficult for rodents to penetrate your attic space.
Non-Toxic to Humans and Pets
The borate formulation used in cellulose insulation is safe for people and pets at the concentrations used in insulation manufacturing. Once installed, the material is fully enclosed within your attic, so you get the pest-deterring benefits of boric acid without any of the exposure concerns associated with liquid pesticide treatments.
Added Benefits of Blown-In Cellulose Insulation
Blown-in cellulose insulation — sometimes called cellulose blown-in insulation — is installed by blowing loose-fill material into an attic or wall cavity using a specialized machine. This method allows the insulation to fill every gap, crack, and corner, creating a tight thermal envelope that other insulation materials can struggle to match.
Get a QuoteSuperior Energy Efficiency
Cellulose blown-in insulation dramatically reduces heat transfer, which means your HVAC system works less to keep your home comfortable. Lower energy bills year-round are one of the most immediate benefits homeowners notice.
Eco-Friendly Recycled Materials
Because cellulose is manufactured from recycled materials, its environmental impact is significantly lower than that of synthetic alternatives. Choosing cellulose attic insulation is a simple way to make your home greener without sacrificing performance.
Strong Fire Resistance
Because it is treated with fire retardants such as boric acid during production, cellulose has a Class 1 fire safety rating. This makes it one of the safest insulation materials you can install in a residential or commercial building.
Better Sound Control
The dense nature of blown-in cellulose insulation also makes it a sound barrier between floors and rooms, reducing noise transmission throughout the home — a bonus most homeowners don’t expect.
Mold and Pest Resistance
The boric acid treatment that gives cellulose its fire resistance also makes it inhospitable to insects and fungi. This greatly reduces the risk of mold growth inside your walls and attic over the long term.
Meets Building Codes
Properly installed cellulose attic insulation meets or exceeds local and national building codes, including energy efficiency standards. Our team ensures every installation is code-compliant and documented correctly.
How We Install Cellulose Attic Insulation
Step 1: Inspection and Assessment
We begin with a full attic inspection. We look for signs of pest activity, assess the condition of your existing insulation, identify moisture issues or mold growth, and note any structural gaps that need sealing before installation begins.
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Step 2: Pest Treatment
When Impact Pest Control installs cellulose insulation, you're getting a service that combines professional pest management with expert insulation installation — something a standard insulation contractor cannot offer. When we find evidence of rodents, insects, or other pests, we address that first. We remove contaminated material, treat the affected areas, and implement any necessary exclusion measures before installing new insulation. Covering an active pest problem with new insulation is not a solution — it's a delay.
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Step 3: Attic Sealing from the Outside In
Before we blow in any material, we seal penetrations around pipes, wiring, and light fixtures. Proper air sealing is essential for maximizing the energy efficiency of your new insulation and eliminating the entry points pests use to access the attic.
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Step 4: Blown-In Cellulose Insulation Installation
We use professional-grade blowing equipment to install cellulose blown-in insulation to the depth required to meet your target R-value and comply with local building codes. Coverage is checked and documented before we wrap up.
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Health & Safety
Is Cellulose Insulation Safe?
Yes. Cellulose insulation is considered safe for residential and commercial use when it is properly installed.
Made from Non-Toxic Shredded Paper
The base material is simply shredded paper — the same material found in newspapers and cardboard boxes. There are no harmful chemicals in the paper itself, and the boric acid used as a fire retardant is considered a low-toxicity compound widely used in household products.
No Fiberglass Fibers
Unlike fiberglass insulation, cellulose does not contain tiny glass fibers that can irritate skin or lungs. During installation, some paper dust is generated, which is why our crew wears proper protective gear — but once settled, the material poses no ongoing health risk to occupants.
How to Tell the Difference Between Cellulose and Asbestos Insulation
In older homes, some homeowners worry about whether their attic contains asbestos. Here’s how to tell the difference between cellulose and asbestos insulation: cellulose is gray or grayish-brown, fluffy, and clearly made of shredded paper fibers. Asbestos-containing insulation (such as vermiculite) looks like small pebbles or crystals and has a grayish or silver appearance. If you are ever unsure, do not disturb the material — call a professional to test it before you touch anything.
We have treatments for every home and every pest problem.
Get a QuoteFrequently asked questions about cellulose insulation.
What is cellulose insulation?
Cellulose insulation is a loose-fill insulation material made from recycled paper products — primarily shredded newspaper — treated with fire-retardants and pest-deterring borates. It is blown into attics and wall cavities to create a dense, energy-efficient thermal barrier.
What is cellulose insulation made of?
It is made from shredded paper products, most often recycled newspapers and cardboard. During manufacturing, the material is treated with boric acid and other compounds that give it fire resistance and pest-deterring properties.
What is cellulose insulation, and how does it work?
When evaluating insulation materials, the most common comparison homeowners make is cellulose vs. fiberglass insulation. Both are widely used, both meet building codes, and both deliver solid thermal performance. But from a pest control standpoint, the differences are significant.
Fiberglass insulation is soft, easy to compress, and provides no pest-deterring properties whatsoever. Rodents readily tunnel through it, and insects can navigate freely through its open structure. Over time, fiberglass batts can compress and shift, creating gaps that reduce energy efficiency and provide pests with additional entry points into the home.
Cellulose, by contrast, is denser, treated with boric acid, and installed in a way that leaves far fewer gaps. It delivers comparable thermal performance — generally rated between R-3.5 and R-3.7 per inch — while actively working against the pest activity that fiberglass simply ignores. For homeowners who want their insulation to do more than just slow heat transfer, cellulose is the stronger choice.
Is cellulose insulation safe for my family?
Yes. Cellulose insulation is safe for humans and pets. The borate compounds used are low-toxicity, and once the insulation is installed and enclosed, there is no ongoing exposure risk for home occupants.
Cellulose vs fiberglass insulation — which is better?
For most homeowners — especially those concerned about pest activity — cellulose is the stronger choice. It is denser, provides borate-based pest deterrence that fiberglass lacks, delivers comparable thermal performance, and is made primarily from recycled materials.
How to tell the difference between cellulose and asbestos insulation?
Cellulose looks like fluffy, gray-brown paper fiber. Asbestos-containing materials like vermiculite look like small mineral granules or pebbles. If you are unsure what’s in your attic, do not touch it — call a professional to test it before any work is done.
Ready to Protect Your Home From the Inside Out?
Your attic shouldn't be an open invitation for pests. Impact Pest Control's cellulose insulation service gives you better energy efficiency, stronger fire resistance, and built-in pest deterrence — all installed by a team that understands what lives in your attic and how to stop it. Contact Impact Pest Control today to schedule your free assessment.