Log Cabins And Insects

If your cabin doesn't rot to pieces, something may come along and eat it. That is, if you do not take rea­sonable precautions to prevent such losses. Insects

The black dots in this log are holes bored by the ambrosia beetle.

attack certain types of wood buildings just as readily as they do peach trees or potato plants.

Log cabins, rustic woodwork, and wood that has not been thoroughly seasoned are most likely to be at­tacked by the bug army, although there are, in some parts of the United States, insects that will work dam­age to any building, if they can get to it.

Fortunately it is possible to repel the insect hordes by a properly-conducted campaign. A thorough study of the destruction of wood by certain six-legged pests has been made by the Bureau of Entomology and the Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, the various state universities, agricultural ex­periment stations, and private corporations have de­voted much time, effort, and money to the development of effective ways of waging the never-ending battle to save wood and things made of it.

More than one proud owner of a rustic summer home made of logs has had his joy turned to sorrow by find­ing that his home contained year-round guests that showed their gratitude by chewing the logs to pieces. It is to prevent such disappointment and financial loss that cabin owners have been demanding information on insect control.

Among the woods most commonly used for log cabins, rustic furniture, and fences are, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, hemlock, fir, tamarack, spruce, pine, cedar, juniper, hickory, birch, oak and poplar. Naturally some of these woods are less likely to be attacked by insects than others. But they all require protection of some kind or other in most instances.

Proper cutting of logs and poles will do much to pre­vent insect damage. The best months for cutting, when the bark is to be left on, are October and November. Logs should be stacked where they are not in contact with the ground, and in such a manner that air will circulate about them.

When the poles or logs are to be peeled, they can be cut at any time and treated at once, after peeling, with a mixture of one part creosote and three parts of kerosene. The creosote, when thus diluted, is not ex­ceptionally strong-smelling, and stains the wood only slightly. Peeled logs should not be left lying on the ground, or they may be attacked by pinhole borers.

Some beetles, such as roundhead borers and powder-post insects, will attack logs no matter when they were

Piece of hickory with bark and a bit of wood removed to show tunnel cut by an adult powder post beetle.

cut. Chemical warfare must be resorted to. There are two chemicals suitable for use. One is the creosote already mentioned. The other is crude pyridine, a color‑less liquid that produces almost no stain. Both of these substances possess strong odors, and should be handled in the open. Precautions should be taken to keep them off the skin and particularly out of the eyes. Either creosote or pyridine can be diluted with three parts of kerosene for treating wood.

Apply creosote or pyridine to the logs, poles, or tim­bers before they are installed in the building, and let them dry thoroughly in the open. The best way is dip­ping. Long, narrow troughs of sheet metal can be constructed and used as dipping vats. They should be just large enough to admit the pieces. When the wood is in position in the building, it can be treated by application with a brush or spray outfit, but such treat­ment is less effective than the dipping method before erection because all parts of the wood are not reached.

If the insect invasion has started, and the cabin owner finds that his walls are alive with beetles or their grubs, different tactics and ammunition have to be employed. Two more chemicals enter the scene. They are crude orthodichlorobenzene and paradichloroben­zene. The first is a colorless liquid that, like pyridine, should be kept off the skin and out of the eyes. It will kill grass and other vegetation if it comes in contact with it. Paradichlorobenzene is a white, crystalline sub­stance with a strong odor. It is used in anti-moth preparations and for killing peach-tree borers. When employed for treating wood that has become infested with insects, it is dissolved in three parts by weight of kerosene. These two substances kill the insects by means of poisonous gas that they liberate slowly.

Orthodichlorobenzene or a solution of paradichloro­benzene in kerosene can be applied to the wood with a brush or spray gun. Thorough covering is essential. A gallon will cover about 50 sq. ft. of wood or log surface.

Here is an adult powder-post beetle. This is the pest that bored into the tree shown in the preceding picture.

Continue to Termites

How To Build A Log Cabin