May 12, 2010

carpenter bees attacking cedar log cabin

Hi,

Cutting to the chase, what do I need to counteract what appears to be carpenter bee activity? I have found several, almost perfectly spherical holes in various logs, ranging from a quarter inch deep to two or more and beyond. Please advise. I appreciate it.

Thank you, J.

As explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, wood structures tend to get special attention from certain insects and carpenter bees are one of them. Log cabins in particular are extra attractive and if left unprotected, holes will be drilled in which the bees will live. To counteract the nesting, there are two things detailed in our article.

The first is to treat any existing nest with DRIONE DUST. I’m not sure you actually have existing nests thus far; based on the depths of the holes you described above you might be acting early enough to avoid the dust treatment. But if you find any holes a foot or two deep, get them dusted and plugged with our 1/2″ CORKS and they’ll be properly handled for sure. Remember, the dust is excellent to use for cracks and crevices so there are plenty of uses for it on the log cabin one way or the other. It works on a wide range of pests and when used in the spring can go a long way as a preventive treatment.

Next, spray with CYPERMETHRIN to prevent any future drilling. Treat as needed but in general once every two weeks will be expected during the peak bee activity time.  Now once you get past the first 1-2 months, activity should be controlled for most of the year but keep watch in the fall as they might get active then too.

Lastly, if you intend on staining or using any other log treatment at some point in the future, be sure to add some NBS INSECT REPELLENT ADDITIVE. This is added directly to the tank mix and works like the Cypermethrin but lasts a lot longer. It’s ability to provide a long residue makes it worth using when treating logs and in some cases can last 2 years making it worth using.

Here are direct links to the products and information mentioned above:

Carpenter Bee Control: www.carpenterbees.com

Drione:  https://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Corks:  https://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/equipment-plugs/cork-12

Cypermethrin: www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

NBS Repellent:  https://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz

Give us a call if you still have questions.

Technical Support
1-800-877-7290

Filed under LOG CABINS