Log homes and log siding should be waterproofed and treated with insecticide to help repel wood-boring insects that take advantage of moisture and rot. Without follow-up treatments and routine maintenance, these pests can wreak extensive cosmetic and structural damage.
If you love the rugged beauty of natural wood, but have concerns about the expensive, time-consuming maintenance costs, give TruLog™ a call at 970-646-4490 to request a sample and learn more about our innovative, log-like steel siding system. TruLog offers greater energy efficiency, and better resistance to pests and the elements, than log or wood siding, and it is truly maintenance free.
Insects that can be especially problematic if allowed to infest log homes and wood siding include:
Powderpost Beetles
Powderpost beetles are one of the few insects that commonly re-infest the wood in which they lay their larvae. As the website Living with Bugs notes on its Log Homes and Wood-Boring Insects page, this means powderpost beetles have the potential to cause long-term damage.
Powderpost beetles have been known to feed on and infest both hardwoods and softwoods, although some hardwoods with low starch content possess naturally immunity to these pests. There are multiple species of powderpost beetles found across the United States, although they are more widespread in coastal regions.
Carpenter Ants
Unlike powderpost beetles and termites, which feed on wood pulp, carpenter ants only nest in wood. But their boring into the wood grain for nests and passageways can still cause substantial damage.
According to the Colorado State University Extension, carpenter ants prefer to colonize in moist, decayed or hollow wood, but they will occasionally nest in the sound structural wood of a home or other building. Carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites, as both develop wings; termites are distinguished from ants by straight antennae rather than elbowed antennae.
Termites
Termites are one of the greatest insect threats to log homes and wood siding because they both live in and feed on the timber. Termites also live in slow-growing colonies, which can make their presence difficult to detect until significant damage has occurred.
Although termites are widespread in the United States, the CSU Extension termite page points out that they thrive in high humidity. They are sometimes confused with carpenter ants, but termite infestations can be even more harmful to structures.
Carpenter Bees
We have previously profiled carpenter bees, another insect found nationwide and known to bore into wood to create nests.
Though carpenter bees are proficient pollinators that rarely pose a threat to people, they can be hazardous to log homes and log siding. Untreated or weathered wood is especially appealing to carpenter bees, which are industrious nesters that may live in family groups.
The TruLog™ Difference
Unlike logs and wood siding, TruLog is made of coated steel that is resistant to wood-boring pests and the moisture that attracts them. TruLog also provides greater protection from damaging weather and fire than traditional timber.
TruLog also happens to offer greater energy efficiency than most wood exteriors, and it is truly maintenance free. TruLog is built to last, and it can be cleaned with a simple rinse from your garden hose.
To learn if TruLog is right for your home, or request a sample, please contact TruLog online or call us at 970-646-4490. TruLog is based in Loveland, Colorado, but we ship nationwide and work with installers in states including Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Missouri and Pennsylvania.
