Will I be at greater risk of insect infestation in a log home as opposed to a regular home?

All homes (or at least most) are made of some sort of wood- you just don’t always see it. For hundreds of years, homes in North America have been constructed with wood timbers as a frame and then covered with some sort of siding- aluminum, brick, vinyl, wood etc. Bugs are not necessarily more attracted to a log home than the brick home next door.

Solid log homes by nature have more structural integrity against certain wood-eating bugs like termites. If you did happen to have termites around your log walls, you would most likely be able to detect their presence right away before any serious damage occurred.

Jim Barna provides several ways to “bug-proof” your log home. First, the pine logs are kiln-dried, so any pests or larva living in them are killed. Then, Penetrete is shipped with your log home package. This substance is to make your log home bug (and rot) resistant. Finally, if you live in an area prone to termites (or other pests), use a termite shield and/or treat the soil- the same way you would if you were building any other type of non-log home.