5800 Asheville Highway
Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
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CALL THE LOG EXPERTS
888-909-LOGS
INSECT TREATMENT
Insects can be devastating to a log home in addition to their holes being an eye sore. Carpenter bees and powder post beetles are the most common insects that we find in log homes. These insects can accelerate the rot and decay process of your log homes significantly, as well as attract woodpeckers, which can make even larger unsightly alterations to your log home. We have several different treatment options and various products that we use to help prevent and remove these insects.
CARPENTER BEES
There is no known way to prevent carpenter bees from returning to your log home. However, we have
found a very effective way of deterring them. We recommend to start by puffing drione into all the
carpenter bee holes and then caulk the holes shut after they have exited and died. We then put an
insecticide and mildewcide in all our top coats of stain as a deterrent. Please be aware that this only helps as
long as your top layer of stain is intact. And lastly, we recommend hanging carpenter bee traps in the heavily visited areas. This is typically under the eaves and in the shaded corners of your home. The combination
of these 3 items typically makes a very noticeable difference.
POWDER POST BEETLES
They say a powder post beetles can live in your logs for as long as 5 years.
The way we recommend treating these insects is by applying a borate product, such as Tim-bor, to your logs after the wash process and before the staining process. Borate products absorb into the wood fibers and will kill wood boring insects, such as beetles, termites and carpenter ants, as they ingest the product. These borate products absorb deep into the wood and can be very effective
against powder post beetles over time. However, powder post beetles are attracted to moist wood.
This means that it is very important to get a good protection system on your home to prevent the
accumulation of additional insects going forward.
We have a few clients with log homes that have aged naturally and want to keep that natural,
weathered, look, and at the same time get rid of/prevent these pesky insects. If this is you, please give
us a call and we can recommend a few protection options that will not require changing the look/color
of your historic cabin, but may required a specialized approach.
INSECT PREVENTION TIP
A great way to prevent insect issues is to ensure that your shrubs and trees are trimmed appropriately and keep a sufficient distance from your logs. The recommended distance seems to vary pending who you talk too, but we recommend a minimum of 2’ and highly suggest 4’ between your logs and shrubbery. We have gone to many houses where the only areas effected by insects are the areas behind shrubbery and bushes.