Flat
Headed or Round-Headed Wood Borers
Look for small oval shaped holes in the log or timber. Also, bores
lay in small pits in the bark. We have found there are two types
of wood borers found in log and timber homes, known as round head
and flathead wood bores. Their eggs hatch in 2 to 4 weeks. These
borers feed deep into the wood as it dries, boring deeper into
logs and timber. The life cycle is usually 1 to 2 years, but the
larvae may feed up to seven years, if the wood moisture is low.
If you are building a new log home, it is recommended to have
kiln dried logs treated with Tim-Bor or Pene-Treat.
Both products are the same though Tim-Bor is
less expensive and can be purchased from Log-Pro.
Powerpost
Beetles
Powerpost beetles prefer unheated areas. Their size is about 1/8"
to 5/16". We have found them in seasonal homes. They prefer sapwood
of ring-porous and diffuseporous hardwoods with a high starch
content. The tell tail sign is a small pile of fine brown flour-like
wood material. We recommend for treatment Bora-Care,
or Tim-Bor and Bug Juice. Call
Log-Pro to order
product.
Carpenter
Ants
If you find that your log or timber home has a moisture problem
or one side is always wet or damp, look for ants. Carpenter ants
are large and black in color. You may want to follow them and
see where they are leading you too. They can enter your home by
way of vegetation that overhangs or touches the home. Be sure
to keep all trees or shrubs cut back from your home. Keep moisture
from your home and treat area with Tim-Bor or
Bora-Care. When staining, use Bug Juice
as a deterrent. Call Log-Pro
to order product.
Carpenter
Bees
Every year we are inundated with phone calls about carpenter bees.
The bees drill holes 3/8", make a right angle, and lay larva.
Woodpeckers eat this larva, making large scars in the wood, which
may need to be repaired or replaced or treated for wood decaying
fungi. Additionally, other insects may enter the hole. Insecticide
sprays and dusting products like Sevin and Dursban have been banned.
Products available are malathion and resmurthrin or the use of
Bug Juice. These products are commonly used and
should be applied every two weeks in the active season. We treat
bee holes with Tim-Boor at night when the bees
are less active by mixing up a solution in a spray bottle and
spraying it in the hole. You can also use the powder and a puffer
to fill the hole. We do not recommend plugging the holes. Bees
tend to return to the same hole or use a hole already made. If
you plug the hole the bee will drill another hole causing more
damage to the logs and starting the cycle all over. If he returns
to a treated hole the chemical application will help to end the
cycle.
Log-Pro
Log Home Restoration is a licensed Pesticide Applicator
in all states. We service PA, NJ, DE, MD, and NY. We recommend
you call your exterminator or the Department of Agriculture for
information on insecticides that are banned or are a health risk.
You have a right to Know!!
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