Log home owners tend to be nature lovers. Living in a log home brings you as close to nature as you desire. However, you certainly don’t want critters invading your space, or woodpeckers tapping on your home. Here’s how to deal with porcupines, woodpeckers, and all sorts of wildlife that love log homes, too.
Porcupines chewing on log homes is a problem that we hear about during the summer months. We contacted the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Professor Scott Cravin (Extension Wildlife Specialist and Professor of Wildlife Ecology) to provide an explanation.
He said:
“Porcupines chew on all kinds of things…either to sharpen their teeth or because of some attraction in the glue, paint, sweat or whatever is on what they decide to chew on.
“Siding is usually attacked because of the bonding glue in plywood. Logs, as such, should not be much of an attraction unless whatever stain or preservative that is on them is attractive.
“So…what to do? Corners and edges can be ‘armor-plated’ with angles of sheet metal, dry wall corners, hardware cloth, etc., but that may be unattractive. Repellents based on capsaicin (hot sauce is the active ingredient), thiram (a fungicide), or other mammal repellents could be applied. Even a small mesh bag of moth flakes/balls (napthalene) placed near damage may help. And there’s always the more direct approach of eliminating the offending animal.”
If you have tried to discourage Mr. or Ms. Porcupine using the above methods to no avail, Scott suggests considering contacting a professional wildlife removal service. They will be able to assist you with humanely removing the offending porcupines from your property.
If a porcupine has gnawed the finish off the logs, prevent the damage from continuing. Prepare the logs by giving them a light sanding and wipe them with a tack cloth. Then apply a quality finish to the log home.
Woodpeckers can be a nuisance with log homes. Although they are wonderful birds, their sharp, pointed beaks can do a great deal of damage to a log home.
The only good thing about this animal pest paying your log cabin a visit is that they let you know you have another type of trouble in your house. Woodpeckers eat insects. They tap on wood to penetrate the surface, locate, and eat the insects. If woodpeckers are visiting your log home regularly, it’s time to check for insect damage such as carpenter ants. It’s likely you’ve got more problems than just the woodpeckers!
Log rot is the source of the woodpecker trouble. Here’s why: rotting logs are attracting insects, and insects attract woodpeckers. Get rid of the rot, and you’ve rid the insects of their food source. The insects will go away, thus ridding the woodpeckers of their food source, and you’re back to peace and quiet in your log home.
But what causes log rot? Moisture. Somehow, moisture is getting into the logs, creating the starting point from which all of the insect and bird problems arise. Check the outside of your log home for signs of rot and call us if you need assistance.
Here are some links to more information if you would like to keep reading about log rot, insects and woodpeckers.
Why logs rot
Insects
Woodpeckers
The rotten logs will need to be replaced to remove the food source for the ants and keep the woodpeckers away.
For more information about our services, visit us at www.restorelogs.com or contact us with your questions.
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