In many parts of the country, carpenter bees are a big concern for owners of log cabins and log homes.
If you desire the charms of a log cabin without the costly annual maintenance and worries about damaging pests, the TruLog™ steel siding system may be right for your home or rental cottage. Give us a call at 970-646-4490 to learn more about the benefits of TruLog.
The Buzz on Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are one of the largest native bee species in the United States, second only to bumble bees. Although carpenter bees are found across the globe in a wide range of climates, the U.S. species are most prevalent throughout the southern U.S. from Arizona to Florida and in the eastern states as far north as New York.; that said, there are scattered species and populations of carpenter bees throughout the Midwest and West.
The bees (of the genus Xylocopa) earned their collective nickname from their status as wood-boring insects that excavate wood with astounding precision for their nests. Although carpenter bees are more solitary than other types of bees, they may live in family groups, and family groups may live near one another.
Carpenter bees are important pollinators, and they rarely pose a risk to humans (the males lack stingers, and females are typically docile and only sting when threatened). They can, however, pose a costly hazard to your home.
Carpenter Bees and Wood Structures
In areas where carpenter bees tend to mate and nest, log homes and other wood structures are vulnerable to infestation.
Log homes, and older or unmaintained log cabins in particular, are especially appealing to carpenter bees for a number of reasons. Log homes are often constructed with relatively soft woods like cedar, pine and redwood; to carpenter bees, the wood is even more appealing if unpainted, untreated and weathered.
If large numbers of families decide to make your home their own, the results can be loud, frightening and potentially damaging to the structural integrity of the wood.
TruLog: Built to Withstand Carpenter Bees and More
Among other advantages when compared to traditional log homes and wood siding, TruLog is designed to protect your home or rental cabin from pests. Even carpenter bees can’t eat through steel siding.
TruLog is also constructed to repel the elements—including hail—and provide a greater resistance to fire damage than wood exteriors. It also offers improved energy efficiency via its foam-backed panels.
For additional information about the multi-patented, ruggedly beautiful TruLog system, please contact TruLog online or call us at 970-646-4490. TruLog is based in Loveland, Colorado, but we ship nationwide and work with professional installers in multiple states including Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Missouri and Pennsylvania.
