Carpenter bees love to nest in oak, redwood, eucalyptus, or even pine trees.Â
Unfortunately for log homeowners like me, this is no less than a disaster. The wood used to build a log home attracts bees, and they create holes trying to build a nest, spoiling the appearance of your home.
So, if you are wondering, “how to keep carpenter bees away from log home?” scroll through this brief article to find out.
Methods To Keep Carpenter Bees Away From Log Home
1. Apply Borate Dust Or Insecticide
If the carpenter bee infestation is already well established in your log home, you may have to opt for some methods to remove them. I prefer to find the bee nests individually and spray them with borate powder or insecticide. It's better to prevent the colonies from increasing, so start spraying this mixture to the exterior of your log house during springtime.
Alternatively, you could also mix the insecticide powder or liquid in the paint topcoats and apply a layer on the exposed wood.
2. Apply Caulk To Seal The Bee Holes
Another thing you can do is spray the bee holes with insecticide to get rid of the bees before you fill the gaps. Firstly, spray the insecticide in the holes and leave them open for a while. This will prevent more bees from entering the holes, and the area will be clear of all pests.
After a few weeks of applying the insecticide, seal the holes with caulk so that the surface remains even.
3. Paint Over Your Wooden Surface
Although carpenter bees are known to show a preference for absolutely bare wood, they can also sometimes drill into stained wooden surfaces. But, here's a trick, you can hide the wood behind paint so that the bees are not attracted to it in the first place.
You see, the mask of paint hides the appearance and feel of wood grain that bees like. So, they are less likely to settle on wooden surfaces with coats of paint. Also, you could apply a final coat of oil-based polyurethane to achieve the same effect.
4. Spray Pesticide
Carpenter bees are sensitive to strong odors and taste; thus, if you spray pesticides on the exterior, I'm sure they will not try to drill holes. However, the effects of pesticides last only a week or two, and you will have to keep reapplying every few days.
Besides, bees do not actually eat the wood, they merely create holes for nesting, so this method may not always work. In my opinion, do not completely rely on this method to get rid of carpenter bees.
Final Words
In short, a few preventive measures should be enough to keep carpenter bees at bay if you start early. Applying a coat of acrylic or oil-based finishing paint can prevent infestation. To make the wooden surface even more inhospitable to carpenter bees, add some insecticide to the paint.
Hopefully, trying these methods will help control the carpenter bee population in your log home. See you next time, bye!