Posts Tagged ‘powderpost beetles in log cabin’

Borate treatment on log buildings is important

Borate treatment being applied

Applying PeneTreat boron-based treatment

Question:  I am refinishing my log home this spring. I have stripped the logs down to bare wood again and I have heard about using borates on the bare wood before staining. Is this is a necessary part of the refinishing process?

Carpenter ants infesting log home

This is what you want to avoid, carpenter ants feeding on your decaying logs.

Answer:  Yes……. borates are a good assurance against rot. They have been around for years and should always be part of the process of finishing when the logs are raw. Borates work by penetrating into the surface of the wood and treating the log against insects but more importantly – against decay.  Borates actually raises the pH level of the moisture latent in the wood to the point that the rot organism and consequently, insects are both impeded.  By doing this treatment, the logs are better protected against future rot and decay.

Related links:

About the process we use: http://restorelogs.com/borate-treatment.htm

Why do logs rot?  http://www.restorelogs.com/blog/log-home-dry-rot-is-a-bit-of-a-misnomer

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Log homes and wood boring insects

Here is a related question from our previous posting.

Question: I need to get wood-boring beetles and carpenter bees stopped. No serious structural damage yet but the insect problem needs to be addressed. I am the original owner of the home. It was built in 1985 out of southern yellow pine. It was a kit supplied by Real Log Homes out of North Carolina. It was last cob-blasted, borated and sealed in 2004. Borate applied at that time did not stop insects. Need help to get insect damage stopped and house resealed.

Notice the honey combing that the ants do as they "excavate the rot". Until you get rid of the rot, you can't control the population of boring insects.

Answer: What we know about carpenter bees and powder post beetles is that they feed on decaying wood. Therefore, they often are a sign that the logs are retaining moisture and that there is some rot. Borate treatment is not a guarantee against these insects. It isn’t a pesticide but more of a treatment for the logs to raise the PH level of the wood to the point where the rot organism is impeded, and subsequently the bugs are less able to attack it. Click here for more information about insects in log homes. (more…)

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Log homes can have problems with wood boring insects

Carpenter ants present

We have been getting lots of calls from people who are concerned about the tiny holes they see in their logs. It’s that time of year when bugs can become a major concern for a log home owner. Boring insects are a common problem that we see in log homes and cabins. The boring insects that we have in the Midwest are commonly the carpenter ant/bee and the powderpost beetle. These insects bore into your home leaving in their path small holes in the logs and a bit of dust. They feed on deteriorating wood so this really makes them a symptom more than a problem in and of themselves.

The most common insect in log homes is the carpenter ant. The carpenter ant infests wood that is rotting, although they do not cause the rot. The holes these carpenter ants bore are about ¼” in diameter or the size of a pencil.

Powderpost beetle holes are smaller than those made by carpenter ants

Powderpost beetles are also common in log homes but they don’t generally do structural damage and are most times not the best indicator of rotting wood. Their holes are the size of a pencil lead. Neither of these insects do structural damage to the logs themselves but carpenter ants may be a warning sign to you that your logs are getting wet or have some rot in them. (more…)

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