How To Protect Your Log Home From Carpenter Bees
If you have decided to build or purchase a luxurious log home, then your residence is natural, beautiful, and sturdy. Log homes can last hundreds of years, even in the harshest environments, as long as you take care of it properly. Unfortunately, your home may become infested with pests, and this can greatly reduce the structural integrity of your house. Carpenter bees are one type of pest that can destroy your house, because these insects will burrow through the wood to create nests. You can keep your home beautiful for as long as possible by reducing carpenter bee damage.
Reduce Food Sources
Carpenter bees can be difficult to get rid of once they start infesting your home, because the insects often nest near one another. The offspring of the bees will also nest in the same locations as their parents, and the bees will return to nests year after year. This means that it is wise to keep your home from becoming a nesting area in the first place. One good way to keep carpenter bees away from your home is to keep food sources away from your residence.
Early Blooming Flowers
Most people believe that carpenter bees actually eat wood, but this is not true. The insects feed off nectar like other types of bees. Carpenter bees will look for food sources early in the spring and they will then look for good nesting areas nearby. This means your home may be a target if you keep flowers near your house that bloom early in the spring. Daffodils, vincas, phlox, witch hazel, and dandelions are a few examples of flowers that bloom early. If any of these flowers grow near your house, then consider removing them.
If a variety of wild flowers grow at the edge of your property in the spring, then it may be impossible to get rid of all the blooms. If this is the case, then consider moving dead logs and fallen trees near the flowers. This will encourage the carpenter bees to nest in the dead trees.
Make Your House Invisible
Carpenter bees will nest in many different types of wood. The insects will even bore holes in stained and pressure treated wood, and they will chew through your home if it is covered with a water-based acrylic paint. The bees will not build nests in log cabins that are covered in oil-based paints or polyurethane sealers though. These types of coverings camouflage the wood by covering it completely, and the bees will not see your home as a potential nesting area.
Apply a Polyurethane Sealer
Many people like to leave their log homes as natural looking as possible, so a polyurethane sealer is your best option to protect your home from carpenter bees. You can purchase oil-based polyurethane sealers from your local home store, just make sure to purchase a weather resistant product that is meant for outdoor use. Once you purchase the sealer, clean the outside of your log cabin with soap and water. If you see mildew or mold, then use either bleach or vinegar to remove it. Rinse your home completely and allow it to dry.
Once your home is dry, sand the outside of your home with a piece of 80 or 100 medium grit sandpaper. Sanding the outside of the wood is necessary to help the sealer stick to the surface of your home. After you sand, use a paintbrush to add one thick coat of the sealer. Wait 24 hours and then add another coat. Add a third coat of the sealer if you want optimal protection. After you add the sealant, inspect your home every year to make sure the wood of your home is not exposed.
If you live in a beautiful log cabin, then you want to make sure that your house is well protected from carpenter bees. Keeping food sources away from your house and sealing your home are two good ways to protect it.
For more information on how to protect your home, you can visit http://www.pioneerloghomesofbc.com/ or talk to the original builders.