What about bugs?

[Smug]

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and have always dreamed of building a log home/cabin. I am a newly wed and have a wife who is deathly afraid of spiders. An ex-coworker of hers once told her that their log home was littered with spiders as though they were attracted to the wood. I wondered if there was any truth to this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If this is true my dreams might get shattered cause she would never live in a log home. If it is any help I live in WV. Most commonly we have a lot of wolf spiders in this area. (least that's what we call them). Any facts ya'll could give from personally living in a log home and having insect problems in general would be great. Thanks in advance!

[lilbluehonda]

It probably has more to do with most people build a log cabin in the woods there are spiders in the woods,I don't see a real difference I get a spider once in a while in my cabin and I got a spider once in awhile when I lived in town

[lilbluehonda]

Oh and another thing you'll find out that when you tell people you want a log cabin they turn into experts in the field but after some research you'll find out they really know nothing

[Smug]

Yes I have noticed all the "experts" out there as well as naysayers! The LHBA seems to me to be the most informative and helpful that is why I joined the forum. Hopefully take the class one day and become a member.

[eagle]

I have not lived in one yet but I had someone tell me they had a lot of spiders as well. I don't see why it would be any different than any other home except te location like mentioned. I could see if your wood was wet or rotting maybe would attract bugs but not the case here. I would be interested in other peoples views who already live in their home.

[loghousenut]

Only way you can raise a good crop of spiders is to have a good crop of bugs for the spiders to eat. There oughta be the same number of flying bugs in a well built log home as in a stick house or a trailer house. As for creepy crawly bugs in the logs or in the rest of the house, I think it would be rather minimal either way. I'd think there would be more crawly spider food under shiplap siding than in log walls. If you build a log home that is going to rot, that might invite the wrong kind of spider food but that's not the goal here at LHBA.

My Wife would tell your Wife not to worry about a LHBA house full of spiders.

Dust is another matter. Every log is a shelf

[rreidnauer]

I think the rumor comes from the seeing spiders in woodpiles and stacked firewood, and people just automatically associate firewood and log homes. The reality is, spiders like nooks and crannies no matter what the material. Also, like lilbluehonda says, log homes are usually found in more rural settings, lending itself to the impression it attracts spiders. I always have a few tiny spiders in the RV I'm living in, in the woods right now. And the woodpile and deck have a few wolf spiders living in them. I don't think it matters what type a place you build, if you build it in the environment favoring to spiders.

[Mosseyme]

We have plenty of spiders around and in our framed home. I once saw an expert on spiders doing a seminar, she said other than the antarctic or the worst deserts you will never be more than six feet from a spider, see them or not. I don't know if that is true but there are a few spiders no matter where I go. I have a 40 yo son that would sho0t a spider with a pistol or rifle rather than get close to it. The kids have to kill the spiders. He will catch and handle the snakes.

[rckclmbr428]

Where at in WV are you? I grew up near Huntington and have built a couple homes in WV. I live in Roanoke VA, basically the same climate in a log home and don't have spiders. There's a few in the basement but I only see them dead.

[Smug]

Thanks for all the replies. I am in the Parkersburg area rckclmbr. I thought maybe the large amount of spiders she saw might have meant it was a kit home or poor craftsmanship.

[blane]

We'll I am in the South myself and have seen spiders in every house I have ever owned but I must admit I have killed three of the largest spiders I have ever seen in my life since moving in. But we also live in the most rural place we have ever lived. In my opinion the most woriusm thing are the bees that seem to to find their way in in the winter. It all seems to come with the dream. My wife and little ones have learned to love it all.

[Smug]

Are they bore bees?

[loghousenut]

Are they bore bees?

Sorry Smug, only one query per lurker. You'll have to reregister under a different user name.

[loghousenut]

Sorry Smug, only one query per lurker. You'll have to reregister under a different user name.

Just funnin' with ya Smugster.

[Smug]

Just funnin' with ya Smugster.

Smugster, I love it! lol

[edkemper]

The people that have spider problems in a log home have the same problem in a stick built house. Spiders go where insects are. There is no reason why a log home isn't as clean and bug free as any other type of housing. Even a converted bus can be spider free.

[rocklock]

To me this is really an easy topic... Spiders go where there are bugs, both flying and others...
Bugs are attracted to food... One of the best foods is fungus, mold and the like... IOW's, wood and water in our case.
We build log homes that are water tight with large overhangs. I have treated my logs with borates which will eliminate most of the foods that bugs like. I have had spiders in my log home, but all of them were trying to catch flying bugs... They were high and around my sky lights. Even the spider webs outside my home are far and few between. I have more spiders in my fruit trees than on my log home...

So if you eliminate the bug foods, you eliminate the bugs and hence the spiders.

[sdart]

The most spiders I have ever seen (and by far the biggest, but that is probably just due to the species found in this area) are in the stone home I am in right now. They build webs near windows and catch the flies, etc. who are attracted to the light. Again, it's where the flying insects are that you'll find the spiders. Part of why we see them here is that we are only here half of the year and they tend to take over when we are gone and are not controlling the insect population. Maybe many log homes in people's experience are vacation homes and so not cleaned for months at a time. When we arrive here the first few days are spent vacuuming spiders... then no problem until we leave the place empty again.

[blane]

We have some wasps that find their way in in the winter. The wood boring bees are minimal in the summer but they requir some Atention,

[Smug]

Thanks everyone! I told her I would get some good info on here. Hope to take the class someday. In the meantime I have been reading a lot of threads on here and trying to learn all I can to prepare myself.

[ivanshayka]

We live in apartment in town. We are on the lower level and have a lot of ants. I purposely keep spiders to eat those ants. My wife hates it when I do that. I do kill bigger spiders.

[StressMan79]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE

Maybe this will help...

[Smug]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE

Maybe this will help...

Ha Ha! Tried that route already. I think she will be reassured after reading these replies.