Do bugs actually eat your base?

Still very new here. I built my first shelter out of grass. And then I noticed ants would crowd around it. Are they trying to eat the base? Are they trying to break down the walls and carry the grass pieces away? Can they do that? And what about the sturdy versions?

No, they loot your food from outside somehow. It's a bug and they are working on it. 

Edited September 2 by Fletch Dude

On 9/1/2020 at 12:58 PM, Erica C Masters said:

Still very new here. I built my first shelter out of grass. And then I noticed ants would crowd around it. Are they trying to eat the base? Are they trying to break down the walls and carry the grass pieces away? Can they do that? And what about the sturdy versions?

If there's food in storage or on the ground, ants will try to get at it.  Or if you have a bug lure built.  

I've only seen angry spiders destroy base structures.  Mites cannot.  Not sure what other bugs can destroy base structures.  

19 hours ago, Truth said:

If there's food in storage or on the ground, ants will try to get at it.  Or if you have a bug lure built.  

I've only seen angry spiders destroy base structures.  Mites cannot.  Not sure what other bugs can destroy base structures.  

I can confirm agro'd bombardier beetles will attempt to melt your whole base down with their acid bombs...

Mites attack bases...I've had to repair some of their minor damage.  What I've noticed is that: when you start to attack an NPC...and you're at a range, the aggro'd insect, if near a base construction or item, will attack that item as 'you'....cheezed a few ladybugs and spiders this way.  Most all insects seem to behave like this, when under attack, at least it appears that way under observation.